• Christian Science Monitor, Friday, March 16, 2007 11:45 AM

Experts in Great Britain say that a cultural shift is rapidly taking place in which foodstuffs once considered niche and expensive are now going mainstream. Consumers are avidly buying fair-trade groceries, organic foods and sustainably farmed produce.

There are now 1,500 different fair-trade goods on the market, and sales reached more than $500 million last year, up 46% from 2005. Purveyors of organic (chemical-free) foods report that sales are growing at 30% a year, adding up to $1.9 billion annually (out of a total national grocery turnover of around $135 billion.)

Some argue that ethical food is a new type of status symbol, a hallmark of the affluent society with time on its hands. But academics say the evidence shows that ethical food is not limited to a class or sector of society.

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