IELTS Report Writing – Sales of Fairtrade-labelled Coffee and Bananas

The tables represent sales (in millions of Euros) of Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas in Switzerland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Belgium and Sweden in 1999 and 2004.

Overall, it is evident that the sales turnover for both coffee and bananas in all five European countries saw a marked increase by the end of the period. However, sales of bananas outpaced coffee in both the periods, whereas coffee drinking habit also gained popularity amongst the five European countries.

In 1999, coffee sales were 1.5 million in the UK which rose dramatically to 20 million Euros in 2004. However, sales in Denmark, Sweden and Belgium which were at 1.8, 0.8 and 1 million euros in 1999, witnessed a slight increase to 2, 1, and 1.7 million euros in 2004, respectively. Coffee drinking habit had a twofold increase in Switzerland from 3 million euros in 1999 to 6 million in 2004.

In 1999, sales of bananas in Switzerland were 15 million euros which increased significantly to 47 million euros in 2004. Banana sales nearly tripled in UK and Belgium from 1 and 0.6 million euros in 1999 to 5.5 and 4 million euros in 2004, respectively. However, banana sales in Denmark and Sweden witnessed a marginal decline from 1.8 and 2 million in 1999 to 1 and 0.9 million Euros in 2004. Since, the gross consumption of bananas and coffee increased many-fold, it suggests an increase in profits made by the farmers in developing countries – the source of these commodities.