The table illustrates the sales figures for Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas in five European countries — the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, and Sweden — for the years 1999 and 2004. Overall, it is evident that, despite some fluctuations, the demand for Fairtrade products generally gained momentum over the five-year period, with the UK and Switzerland standing out as the primary markets for coffee and bananas respectively.
In terms of coffee, the UK experienced by far the most remarkable surge, with sales skyrocketing from a modest 1.5 million euros in 1999 to 20 million euros in 2004. Switzerland, though starting at a slightly higher base of 3 million euros, saw its sales double to 6 million euros. The remaining countries — Denmark, Belgium, and Sweden — displayed more modest growth, with figures increasing marginally by 0.2 to 0.7 million euros each, reflecting a relatively subdued market for Fairtrade coffee in these nations.
Regarding bananas, Switzerland dominated sales in both years, recording an impressive jump from 15 million euros in 1999 to a substantial 47 million euros by 2004 — the highest figure across both products and all countries. The UK and Belgium also showed positive trends, rising from 1 million euros to 5.5 million euros and from 0.6 to 4 million euros respectively. In stark contrast, Sweden and Denmark bucked the overall upward trend, registering notable declines. Sweden’s sales of bananas halved from 1.8 to 1 million euros, while Denmark’s dropped more sharply from 2 million euros to just under 1 million.
In summary, the figures highlight a clear increase in consumer support for Fairtrade-labelled products in certain markets, particularly in the UK and Switzerland, which evidently embraced the ethical trade movement more robustly than the other countries surveyed.