In the world’s biggest conversion of its kind, Sainsbury’s has announced it will be the first UK retailer to convert its entire banana range to Fairtrade.
The retail price of bananas will remain unchanged.
The move provides unprecedented volume to Fairtrade sales and will make Sainsbury’s share of the entire Fairtrade market larger than all the other major supermarkets in the UK combined.
Sainsbury’s is already the UK’s leading Fairtrade retailer and accounts for the largest market share of bananas with the Fairtrade mark.
As a result of converting to 100 per cent Fairtrade, Sainsbury’s will buy five times as many Fairtrade bananas from growers.
This conversion will create a social premium of £4million in 2007, which will be returned to the growers and their communities. This is an increase of over £3m on 2006.
Sainsbury’s ceo Justin King said: “This move to 100 per cent Fairtrade leads the world, and really sets the standard for global Fairtrade sourcing.
“We will continue to give our customers great choice, at the same price, but from now on every customer will know that buying bananas from Sainsbury’s is helping to make a difference to a developing country.
Our buyer is working closely with the Fairtrade Foundation to support our growers in achieving Fairtrade status - we know our customers feel passionately about Fairtrade and we want to make their choice easier.“
Harriet Lamb executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation said: “This is the most momentous decision for the banana market - Sainsbury’s sells half a billion bananas a year, therefore the impact on the banana farmers and their communities will be hugely significant.”
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