Co-Op Converts Entire Coffee Stock To Fairtrade

The Fairtrade Foundation welcomes the Co-op's recent ground breaking conversion of its entire coffee stock, both instant and ground, to Fairtrade - the first time that a supermarket has ever taken this step. Many struggling smallholder organisations will immediately feel the benefit.

For coffee sold with the FAIRTRADE Mark, coffee growers get a fair price, currently double the global market price for arabica beans and triple for robusta beans. Under conventional agreements, they get just over half what it actually costs to grow the beans, meaning that they are effectively subsidising our coffee drinking.

"Most people love coffee, but they would be appalled if they knew how bad life is for coffee farmers in many countries, " says Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. "For example in Nicaragua former coffee workers now beg by the road, thousands took part in a March of the Hungry in July and 14 of them died. This poverty is due to the dramatic fall in world coffee prices, for example the world price for arabica coffee has fallen dramatically to $0.65 cents per pound, in comparison with the Fairtrade price of $1.26. The Co-op's decision will help some coffee co-operatives build a brighter future, it offers a real choice to Britain's shoppers and sends a timely wake-up call to the worldwide coffee industry."

"This follows the Co-op's decision last November to switch all its own-brand chocolate bars to Fairtrade," she adds. "The Co-op proves what a committed retailer can do to move Fairtrade into the mainstream and give more customers access to these top quality products."

For further information contact Eileen Maybin or Abi Murray at the Fairtrade Foundation on 020 7440 7686 or mobile 07770 957451 or e-mail eileen.maybin@fairtrade.org.uk or abi.murray@fairtrade.org.uk .

Useful website link: www.co-op.co.uk/fairtrade