Markets for sustainable products, such as those with the Fairtrade label, have expanded rapidly over the past five years and are growing much faster than those for conventional goods, according to a recent U.N.-backed report.

The report measures the success of initiatives aimed at providing markets in rich countries - often commanding premium prices - for producers in developing states who adopt environmentally sound cultivation methods or progressive social and labour methods that promote development.

The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review, produced by non-governmental organisations and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, looks at projects attaching environmental and social standards to commodities in the forestry, coffee, cocoa, tea and banana sectors.

Its findings include:

Land under globally recognised sustainable forestry certification has nearly tripled to 343.60 million hectares in 2009 -- nearly 9 percent of global forested land -- from 122.27 million in 2004;

Sustainable coffee now accouunts for 8% of global exports;

Sales of certified sustainable coffee more than quintupled in the period to 392,347 tonnes in 2009 -- representing more than 8 percent of global coffee exports and 17 percent of global production -- from 73,602 tonnes in 2004;

Sustainable cocoa sales more than tripled to 46,896 tonnes in 2008 (2008) -- 1.2 percent of global sales -- from 13,473 tonnes in 2003 (2003).

Source Reuters Africa