UK sales of Fairtrade items stand at £300 million a year, and 2,500 retail and catering product lines carry the Fairtrade mark. The figures were released to mark the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs until 11 March.

Harriet Lamb, of the Fairtrade Foundation, said:

"Fairtrade is beginning to move from being an 'optional extra' to a 'must-do'.

"Way too many companies have yet to wake up to the public's changing expectations. We need people to shout even louder, and we need companies to respond with genuine engagement."