Marks & Spencer's programme to become the world's most sustainable retailer
The Fairtrade Foundation commends the launch of Marks & Spencer’s 80 new commitments with which they aim to make themselves the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, by converting all food, clothing and home items to carry at least one sustainable or ethical label, such as the FAIRTRADE Mark.
Marks & Spencer’s ‘Plan A’ programme was first launched in 2007 and sought to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world, when they committed to converting key clothing ranges to 100% Fairtrade certified cotton. They also announced they would build on the success of their Fairtrade coffee and tea by offering Fairtrade bananas, jam and bagged sugar and would move into other vulnerable supply chains like those for sugar cane and cocoa used across their food range. This latest move promises to convert 100% of all individual M&S food, clothing and home items to carry at least one certification label such as Fairtrade by 2020.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: ‘Working with Marks & Spencer over the last few years has brought more and more farmers into the Fairtrade system. We believe that true sustainability can only come about when farmers are receiving decent levels of remuneration for their produce to enable them to provide for today and plan for the future. This latest move by Marks & Spencer sends a clear message to the whole of the retail industry, showing how Fairtrade is continuing to move into the mainstream. Marks & Spencer is providing leadership to the rest of the retail industry, proving that businesses can put Fairtrade and ethical issues at the heart of what they are doing.
She continues, ‘Consumer research and actual sales trends have consistently shown there is a groundswell of support in this country for Fairtrade that has pushed it up the agenda and retailers are responding to this. People are aware of the huge benefits Fairtrade can bring and they like being able to make a difference when they go shopping.’
The Fairtrade Foundation believes that Marks & Spencer’s commitment to Fairtrade in its sustainability programme will help the Foundation tip the balance of trade to enable many more producers to benefit from selling Fairtrade goods in the UK, while those already supplying the UK market are able to increase the proportion of their crop they sell via the Fairtrade system.
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Eileen Maybin
Head of Media
020 7440 7686 07770 957 451
eileen.maybin@fairtrade.org.uk
Faith Mall
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 8597/07766 504 947
faith.mall@fairtrade.org.uk
Martine Julseth
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 7695/07825 827 791
martine.julseth@fairtrade.org.uk
Neil Martin
Assistant Press Officer
020 7440 7620
neil.martin@fairtrade.org.uk
Notes to Editors
1. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 72% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people – farmers, workers and their families – across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.
2. Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool and olive oil.