Fairtrade bananas are to be stocked in all 3,000 Co-op food stores the UK, including its smallest community stores in some of the most remote areas, from the first day of Fairtrade Fortnight.
The move is expected to double sales from 22 million Fairtrade bananas a year to more than 43m within a year, according to the retailer.
The announcement signals another breakthrough in the campaign to support small, independent producers after Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer made commitments to the brand last year.
Sources for the Co-op Fairtrade bananas include Ghana, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Windward Isles, where growers are receiving a guaranteed price for their bananas and an additional social premium under the Fairtrade scheme, according to the chain.
The Co-op was the first UK supermarket to introduce Fairtrade when it began stocking Cafédirect in 1992 and the group claims it sells Fairtrade products in more outlets than any other retailer.
Sales of Fairtrade products through Co-op stores for 2006 exceeded £40m - a 25 per cent share of the Fairtrade grocery market for last year, according to the chain.
Guy McCracken, chief executive of food retail at the Co-operative Group, said: “The Co-op support for Fairtrade is well documented and this latest initiative demonstrates our commitment to making Fairtrade products accessible to as many people as possible.
“Co-op customers everywhere can now do their bit to help banana growers build a better life for themselves.”
The Co-op is to reduce the price of all the Fairtrade products in store by 20 per cent and all Fairtrade bananas will be 99p per kilo as part of Fairtrade Fortnight.
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