Oct. 5, 2007 One year after switching to Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee at its 1,200 U.K. locations, McDonald's reports an 15% increase in the number of cups of coffee sold each day.

The Guardian reports that growing consumer demand for ethically sourced coffee has fueled year-by-year jumps in sales, with further growth predicted thanks to deals with restaurant chains such as McDonald's.

Earlier this year McDonald's became the first major retailer in the U.K. to switch to certified coffee, and others are following suit. Last month, all in-store cafes at the supermarket chain Morrisons started to serve both Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade-certified coffee from Bolling Coffee. Pret a Manger also sells a triple-certified coffee in all its outlets, sourced from farms which meet Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, and organic standards. Unilever Foodsolutions the world's largest purchaser of black tea has recently launched the world's first Rainforest Alliance-certified tea, the article notes.