Fairtrade – we are committed to making a world of difference

We've been supporting Fairtrade since the inception
of the 'Fairtrade mark' back in 1994.
And in 1998 we launched our own

long-term plan to 'mainstream' Fairtrade.

Wine
We were the first supermarket to launch fairly traded wine and we now support Fairtrade co-operatives in Chile, Argentina and South Africa.

Chocolate
Our 45g milk chocolate bar was the UK’s first own-brand product to carry the Fairtrade mark. We now support co-operatives in Ghana, Dominican Republic and Peru.

Coffee
We were the first major retailer to sell Cafedirect in 1992. This went on to become the UK’s very first Fairtrade brand, supporting the Aguadas community in Colombia.

Bananas
In 2000 we introduced the UK’s first Fairtrade bananas, supporting local communities in the Volta River in Ghana to try to help break the poverty cycle.

Sugar
In 2005 we were the first supermarket to sell Fairtrade sugar and now all our own brand sugar is Fairtrade, supporting communities in Malawi and Zambia.

Tea
We were the first to convert our entire own brand tea range to Fairtrade in 2008. This continues to help support Fairtrade co-operatives in Kenya and Malawi.

Bringing Fairtrade into Schools
The more we learn about Fairtrade the better it gets for everyone. That's why we supported the Co-operative College in the production of a great resource for schools to bring Fairtrade to the classroom.

Find out more

Campaign for Fairtrade in your local community

We are at the forefront of Fairtrade campaigning
in the community and have developed a number of resources to help you Get Involved with Fairtrade, including a Fairtrade Towns Pack.

Tea with Me

In support of our charity of the year mencap, membership is involved in a year long programme of fundraising. In September the Tea with Me event will aim to bring the community together over cups of Fairtrade tea and a Victoria sponge, while raising vital funds for young people with a learning disability. To found more please visit the membership site.

www.co-operative.coop/teawithme