In the quiet hum of a Monday morning in a London supermarket aisle, a mother reaches for a bag of bananas bearing the black and green logo of the Fairtrade Foundation. The price is a few pence higher than the unlabeled produce beside it. She pauses.
Her toddler tugs at her sleeve. She chooses the Fairtrade bag. In that moment, her purchase becomes more than groceries—it becomes a statement of values.
What feels unexpected is the broader pattern emerging across the United Kingdom: in the midst of one of the worst cost-of-living crises in decades, many British consumers are still opting for ethical, sustainably sourced products.
Rather than retreating entirely into cost-cutting, some are doubling down on conscience-driven consumption.
Dark Skies And Steady Choices
When prices rise, economics suggests it’s value first, ethics second. In the UK, inflation surged and real household incomes dropped, fuelling a widespread retreat into cheaper brands, frozen food, and trading down. But in this challenging climate, ethical shopping has not only held its ground—it has quietly grown.
The Guardian headline on 2 April 2024 made it explicit: “Ethical shopping on the rise in UK despite cost of living crisis.” It noted that the Fairtrade Foundation expected to generate over £13 million income from UK product‐licensing fees in the previous year—slightly more than the prior year despite economic headwinds.
This is remarkable not because the numbers are huge—they remain a small fraction of the total retail market—but because of what they signify: conscious consumers refusing to abandon their values, even when their wallets are strained.
Grassroots Signals Of Change
Around 70 % of UK adults report having purchased a Fairtrade product in the past year, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation.
That number is higher than some might expect given the cost pressures. Meanwhile, research shows that the Fairtrade market value in the UK rose nearly 16 % to £2.3 billion in 2022, despite inflation and disruption.
These indicators suggest that ethical shopping is no longer confined to the affluent or niche shoppers—it is edging into everyday behaviour.
Retailers have noticed the shift: in February 2023, mainstream supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Co-op expanded Fairtrade‐labeled items into their “value” ranges, with teabags, coffee and cocoa available at lower price points.
The Fairtrade model guarantees that producers are paid a stable minimum price along with an additional premium, which they can use to fund essential community initiatives, including improvements in education, healthcare, and local infrastructure.
Why People Still Choose Ethics
Several powerful undercurrents seem to explain this trend.
Firstly, the global supply-chain risks triggered by climate breakdown and geopolitical disruption are now visible to everyday shoppers.
In the YouGov poll, 79 % of Britons said they were concerned climate change could push up food prices, and 69 % worried it could interrupt UK supplies.
When your groceries feel connected to droughts in Africa or storms in Central America, the “ethical” purchase becomes less of a luxury and more of a safeguard.
Secondly, ethical labelling has grown more visible, accessible and commodified. The Fairtrade mark now appears on more than 6,000 products in the UK. Retailers are actively making “values” a feature rather than a fringe.
The move toward value ranges for ethical goods means that consumers under financial strain may still find a way to express their ethical preferences without major sacrifice.
Thirdly, human stories matter. When that mother chooses the Fairtrade bananas, she is participating in a global chain that assures minimum prices, communal premiums and training for producers across 70 countries. In turbulent times, the ability to connect daily behaviour to a global purpose offers a rare sense of empowerment.
Not Without Tension
Of course, this is not to say the path is smooth. Price remains a dominant factor in purchase decisions—YouGov’s March 2025 survey found that only 5 % of Britons selected “social or ethical considerations” as their top priority when shopping; cost came first at 70 %.
Also, retailers operate in a squeezed environment: cutting ranges, wrestling with supply issues and heavy inflation. The fear of a “race to the bottom” has been articulated by Fairtrade bodies—warning that cost-pressured shoppers might revert to the cheapest unlabeled goods. But the story so far shows resilience.
On The Producer Side: A Lifeline In Tough Times
This shift matters not just for UK shoppers, but for farmers and workers in the Global South. The Fairtrade model guarantees that producers are paid a stable minimum price along with an additional premium, which they can use to fund essential community initiatives, including improvements in education, healthcare, and local infrastructure.
By continuing to purchase Fairtrade products, UK consumers are indirectly supporting climate-resilient farming, decent wages and development in countries already hardest hit by economic and environmental shocks. That connection gives a deeper meaning to choices at the supermarket checkout.
A Hopeful Marketplace In A Difficult Era
In a time when many headlines focus on consumer cut-backs, doom-loops and economic contraction, the enduring strength of ethical shopping offers a counter-narrative: that values can hold firm even when budgets are tight.
It suggests that ethical consumerism is shifting from novelty to norm—not for everyone, certainly, but increasingly for many.
The mother in the aisle, the young adult scanning for the Fairtrade mark, the retailer quietly stocking budget ethical ranges—all these are small acts that cumulatively shape markets and behaviours.
As Michael Gidney reflected: “The penny has dropped, that investment starts with primary producers.”
If you hold that Fairtrade-labelled bag of bananas in your own basket or note the ethical mark on your tea or coffee, you are participating in a wider movement. And that gives hope—that in the midst of a cost-of-living squeeze, we are not simply trading down, but also trading up on values.
Conclusion
In the heartfelt hum of everyday life—shopping, feeding families, making choices—there lies a quiet revolution. Across the UK, people are still choosing ethical, sustainable products, even as their budgets shrink. It is not because everything else is easy, but because they believe their choices matter.
And in that belief lies hope: that commerce, too, can be a force for fairness, connection and global solidarity. As we face tight budgets and uncertain times, each small act of conscious purchasing becomes more than a habit—it becomes a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.
