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| Parliamentary motion calls on Sainsbury's to retain Fairtrade mark | Parliamentary motion calls on Sainsbury's to retain Fairtrade mark |
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| Nearly 40 MPs are backing a parliamentary motion calling on supermarkets to support the Fairtrade ethical mark amid fears the 25-year-old campaign faces collapse. | Nearly 40 MPs are backing a parliamentary motion calling on supermarkets to support the Fairtrade ethical mark amid fears the 25-year-old campaign faces collapse. |
| The cross-party support ramps up pressure for a change of heart by Sainsbury’s, the biggest backer of Fairtrade in the UK, which recently began experimenting with its own “fairly traded” scheme on tea. | The cross-party support ramps up pressure for a change of heart by Sainsbury’s, the biggest backer of Fairtrade in the UK, which recently began experimenting with its own “fairly traded” scheme on tea. |
| Campaigners and shareholders accused the supermarket of undermining Fairtrade at the company’s annual shareholder meeting this week. They fear the changes will be extended to other products, including bananas and coffee. | Campaigners and shareholders accused the supermarket of undermining Fairtrade at the company’s annual shareholder meeting this week. They fear the changes will be extended to other products, including bananas and coffee. |
| An online petition on Change.org calling on Sainsbury’s to stick with Fairtrade has gathered more than 85,000 signatures. | |
| Caroline Lucas MP, the Green party co-leader and main sponsor of the parliamentary early day motion, called on supermarkets not to confuse shoppers by abandoning Fairtrade. | |
| She said: “To abandon the Fairtrade mark would be an act of huge irresponsibility from a supermarket which claims ‘sourcing with integrity’ as one of its five key values. Supermarkets should be empowering people to shop ethically – not making it harder. Abandoning the Fairtrade mark in favour of in-house certification schemes creates big differences in standards between companies and is confusing for shoppers. | She said: “To abandon the Fairtrade mark would be an act of huge irresponsibility from a supermarket which claims ‘sourcing with integrity’ as one of its five key values. Supermarkets should be empowering people to shop ethically – not making it harder. Abandoning the Fairtrade mark in favour of in-house certification schemes creates big differences in standards between companies and is confusing for shoppers. |
| “People must be able to trust that products which claim to be ethically produced are of the best possible standard. The decision by Sainsbury’s to turn away from the Fairtrade mark, a scheme so well respected for getting farmers from developing countries a good deal and tackling the causes of poverty, sets a concerning precedent. I hope Sainsbury’s will reconsider its withdrawal from the scheme and that other supermarkets will strengthen their support.” | “People must be able to trust that products which claim to be ethically produced are of the best possible standard. The decision by Sainsbury’s to turn away from the Fairtrade mark, a scheme so well respected for getting farmers from developing countries a good deal and tackling the causes of poverty, sets a concerning precedent. I hope Sainsbury’s will reconsider its withdrawal from the scheme and that other supermarkets will strengthen their support.” |
| The motion, which is backed by Conservatives including Peter Bottomley, Lib Dems including Jo Swinson, Labour MPs including Catherine McKinnell, as well as Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams, says: “This house deeply regrets the decision by the supermarket Sainsbury’s to drop the Fairtrade mark for its own-brand tea and develop its own certification scheme; notes that the Fairtrade Foundation is a respected organisation and part of a global network that strives to ensure that farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal for their produce.” | The motion, which is backed by Conservatives including Peter Bottomley, Lib Dems including Jo Swinson, Labour MPs including Catherine McKinnell, as well as Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams, says: “This house deeply regrets the decision by the supermarket Sainsbury’s to drop the Fairtrade mark for its own-brand tea and develop its own certification scheme; notes that the Fairtrade Foundation is a respected organisation and part of a global network that strives to ensure that farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal for their produce.” |
| A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “Sainsbury’s would welcome the opportunity to take MPs through all the benefits that our pilot will bring beyond what the current Fairtrade model offers. We are very confident that our pilot project will deliver more funding to farmers in Africa than they receive through Fairtrade as well as greater levels of support.” | A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “Sainsbury’s would welcome the opportunity to take MPs through all the benefits that our pilot will bring beyond what the current Fairtrade model offers. We are very confident that our pilot project will deliver more funding to farmers in Africa than they receive through Fairtrade as well as greater levels of support.” |