Traidcraft has just brought out new pyjamas and dressing gowns, Bishopston a new range of bags and People Tree has new offerings including a bang-on-trend one shouldered, jersey party dress.

Other High Street names which launched their first Fairtrade ranges this year include Laura Ashley, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Asda George.

Opening up new possibilities for future product development is the recent availability of two new fabrics, Fairtrade certified cotton corduroy and velvet.

Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual promotional campaign which spans February and March, is always a fantastic time to launch and promote new ranges with the huge media interest and customer awareness which happens at this time.

Thanks to the guaranteed fair price for the cotton crop which Fairtrade delivers, cotton farmers are better able to support their families and invest in their farms. With the payment of an additional Fairtrade premium whole communities can benefit; housing and water supplies can be improved and children can receive an education.

Fairtrade cotton farmers are also committed to reducing chemical use and protecting the environment so this way of trading brings long term benefits for the farmers as well as sustainable solutions for the planet.

The Fairtrade Foundation's Victoria Morton, head of business development, says: "We are finding that ethics are increasingly the deciding factor that converts a consideration into a purchase. While this poses a great opportunity for many businesses, for others it is a wake up call to address the demands of the growing numbers of ethically-aware consumers. Now is the time for businesses to differentiate themselves and to make themselves more attractive to customers."

Rachel Hearson, business development manager at the Fairtrade Foundation, says: "That such a growing range of items made from Fairtrade certified cotton is now offered to UK consumers is a tremendous step forward. However, we still have a long way to go to increase Fairtrade cotton sales so we can help more farmers work their way out of poverty.

"Around 100 million rural households are involved in cotton production, many of them in some of the world's poorest countries. For many smallholder cotton farmers in the developing world, who are often the invisible part of the textile supply chain, cotton is their only cash crop and their only means of survival. Prices are driven down by competition from synthetic fibres and also by subsidies from the US, the EU and China giving poorer countries no market for their cotton. For many cotton farmers there is no security, only impoverishment, and this is where Fairtrade steps in."

To achieve accreditation, farmers must comply with strict standards and be regularly monitored. Those involved in every subsequent stage of the supply chain must be certified as traders with Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) to ensure there is transparency and traceability from the cotton picked in the fields to the end product on the shelves in store.

Hearson explains: "Any company wanting to develop products made from Fairtrade certified cotton needs to contact the Fairtrade Foundation for advice on how to set up supply chains to allow their products to be sold in the UK market. The Fairtrade Mark is the most trusted ethical label and is now recognised by 70% of UK consumers. Companies can either work with their current supply chain or they can contact companies already working with Fairtrade certified cotton. Doing this now could not be more vital. Millions of disadvantaged small scale farmers rely on their seed cotton to be sold and converted into sales. If more can be assured of a fair price for their work, lives can be changed literally overnight. Families can live with hope. Textile brands, suppliers, retailers and companies can play a real part in making this happen."

Currently Fairtrade cotton is produced by more than 48,000 farmers from 33 producer groups spanning nine countries. However Fairtrade minimum prices have now been set for organic and organic Fairtrade seed cotton covering every eligible cotton growing country in the world - 76 countries altogether.

The new Fairtrade minimum prices represent an average increase of 24 per cent per kilo compared with the previous prices. This represents a big chance to bring more Fairtrade cotton on to the market and expand this sector of the industry still more.

Companies already working with Fairtrade have shown that being stylish and smart is absolutely commensurate with being ethical. The range of both stunning and every day garments produced by such a wide range of companies has proved that fighting poverty and being fashionable can very much go hand in hand.

Yet many challenges lie ahead for cotton farmers in poorer countries. The costs of fertilizers and transportation continue to rise steeply, as does the cost of food in local markets. As people in poor countries spend a much higher proportion of their income on food and fuel, this is hitting them very hard. Farmers need the stable prices and long term business relationships which come with Fairtrade now more than ever.

For more information please contact Rachel Hearson Rachel.hearson@fairtrade.org.uk or visit  www.fairtrade.org.uk or www.fairtrade.net

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