Fairtrade and international development
Supporting our suppliers, workers and the most vulnerable.
Championing the Fairtrade movement
We believe Fairtrade is the gold standard of ethical and sustainable certifications. Fairtrade is more than a label – it is a movement for trade justice.
30 years celebration of pioneering Fairtrade and became the first UK retailer to move its entire range of fresh cut roses to 100% Fairtrade
2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the first FAIRTRADE Mark and Co-op is very proud to have been supporting Fairtrade since the beginning, driven by our passionate members.
To celebrate, we developed a bold Fairtrade Fortnight campaign, encouraging our members and customers to ‘choose a fairer future’. We rebranded over 30 of our Fairtrade products in bold new designs that illustrated the impact of choosing Fairtrade and the positive change that can be driven by farmers and workers. We developed a range of in-store promotional materials and member discounts on own-brand and branded Fairtrade products to make our Fairtrade range even more accessible. We also reached thousands of members through a suite of exclusive Join In activities and launched a marketing campaign showing our support for Fairtrade, with our press activity over the fortnight reaching 2 million people.
Owned by you
Last year, more than 70,000 members joined in to share their ideal chocolate bar flavour combinations with us, and in January, they chose their favourite from our shortlist.
As shaped by Co-op members, bars of our Fairtrade Chunky Salted Caramel and Pretzel chocolate landed on shelves in Co-op stores in July.
Our Fairtrade commitment
Our objective to be the UK’s biggest supporter of Fairtrade is underpinned by a 3-pillar plan:
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Sourcing: We are continuing to drive impact through our sourcing of Fairtrade ingredients and unique sourcing commitments to Fairtrade producer organisations
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Innovation: In 2024, we delivered outcomes across four multi-year Co-op Future of Food Sourcing projects, investing in support for improved livelihoods and climate change resilience of Fairtrade farming communities
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Communications: Through our strong relationships with producer organisations, we campaign on the issues that matter most to them and amplify their voices
International development
Water security remains one of our key priorities. We believe that investing in water security – sustainable, resilient water resources and services for all – is one of the best ways to address increasing climate vulnerability and inequalities.
As part of our partnership with The One Foundation, we invest directly in water security programmes within our supply chain. We also collaborate with other retailers and food businesses to take collective action in key food-sourcing areas through WRAP’s Water Roadmap.
We raise donations through sales of Co-op own-brand bottled water to support projects bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions to communities living in some of the most extreme poverty.
We’ve donated more than £21m over the past 18 years and over £2m in 2024 alone. Over the last 18 years, over 3.2 million lives have been changed through this partnership
With help from our member-owners and customers, we raised £607,523 for global charity Water Unite in 2024
