Data reveals ethical market recession-proof with 12 per cent growth

Consumers appear not to have cut back on spending of ethical products, according to a new report.
The annual Ethical Consumer Markets Report has revealed that demand for ethical consumer goods and services continues to defy recessionary pressures, growing grew by more than 12 per cent in 2012. This is in contrast to the mainstream UK economy, which grew by just 0.2 per cent.
The report, from Ethical Consumer magazine, revealed that total ethical spending in the UK is now worth £54 billion, and significant contributors to the growth has been the ethical food and drink sector, which grew by some 36 per cent in 2012 and is now worth over £10 billion.
Standout performances came from Rainforest Alliance certified goods, which grew by 47 per cent as a result of more certified products being rolled out. In addition, the RSPCA’s Freedom Food range of products grew by 37 per cent. Sales of sustainable fish increased by 20 per cent to £353 million.
Rob Harrison, a Director at Ethical Consumer magazine, commented: “The annual Ethical Consumer Markets Reports have shown significant growth each year since the onset of the recession. This clearly demonstrates that the trend towards ethical buying is not a luxury which consumers choose to drop when the going gets tough, but is an established and increasingly important consumer sector.
“In some markets where ethical purchasing has been established for many years, such as bananas, coffee and free range eggs, a dominant market-share for ethical products is now on the horizon.”