U.S. Fair Trade product sales increased by 24 percent last year, announced the organization behind the standard, Fair Trade USA, according to foodnavigator-usa.com.
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Editor's Insight: Fair Trade products have increased in popularity over the years, despite criticism of Fair Trade from some observers, including VendingMarketWatch. This being the case, refreshment service operators will find it worth their while to offer Fair Trade products.
Regarding Fair Trade coffee, VendingMarketWatch has argued that a more significant approach is for the U.S. to support a trade agreement requiring coffee imports and exports to adhere to certain quality control standards. VendingMarketWatch has claimed that supporting high quality control standards would put upward pressures on coffee prices, which would improve both working conditions and cultivation practices in coffee growing areas. 04-14-11 by Elliot Maras
