Fairtrade Fortnight kicked off this week with the major retailers pledging further commitment to the cause and undertaking significant in-store activity.
The Co-op is celebrating its recent win of the Corporate Social Responsibility award for promoting Fairtrade, at the annual Effectiveness Awards, with 20 per cent off all Fairtrade produce.
Waitrose has taken the opportunity to go strictly Fairtrade on bananas, with the launch of Caribbean Fairtrade loose bananas to complement its bagged offer.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s has introduced plum, banana and mango puree - the first Fairtrade-marked baby food, having switched 75 per cent of its rose bouquets to Fairtrade in January of this year. The retailer is also offering triple Nectar card points on all Fairtrade-marked products.
And Asda, which is showing the fastest growing supermarket sales of Fairtrade fresh produce, is running promotions on Fairtrade oranges, grapes and mangoes.
Some 8,000 activities are expected to take place around the UK - mostly concentrated in the 150 Fairtrade towns, with 20 more locations due to receive Fairtrade status during the fortnight.
Celebrities have also signed up to support the campaign by allowing photographer Trevor Leighton to snap them adorned with fruit and other Fairtrade items for his latest show.
