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Beansprouts that have been grown from the first Fairtrade certified mung beans from China are now available on UK supermarket shelves.

For the first time, a group of growers in Inner Mongolia have been given Fairtrade certification, which means they will receive a fair price for their mung beans, as well as a Fairtrade premium.

The Jurihe/Zhaluteqi Nature Village farmer association is located near TongLiao City in Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolia is the third largest subdivision of China and one of China’s poorest rural areas. Many children do not get a basic education, as schools are old and ill equipped and the children have to walk more than an hour to reach the school. In winter, temperatures are below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

The Fairtrade premium will allow the village to improve education facilities and the condition of local schools, as well as providing materials and equipment. It will also support local families by funding items for their houses such as heaters and warm clothes for winter. The mung beans are the first product to be certified in the UK under the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO) standard for pulses, launched eighteen months ago.

After the mung beans are harvested by the growers, they are hand-sorted and transported by sea to the UK. The beansprouts, which have a limited shelf life, are grown in the UK to avoid the use of air freight. They are now available in The Co-operative, under The Co-operative’s own-brand and with the FAIRTRADE Mark. To find out more go to www.fairtrade.org.uk

Harriet Lamb said: ‘This we hope is the first of many new products in the pulses category and an opportunity to open the door for new producer groups such as these farmers from a remote and rural part of China’.

For more information contact Faith Mall, Media & PR Manager, the Fairtrade Foundation on 0207 440 8597 or Martine Julseth on 0207 440 7695.

Eileen Maybin
Head of Media Relations
020 7440 7686/07770 957 451
eileen.maybin@fairtrade.org.uk

Martine Julseth
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 7695/07825 827 791
martine.julseth@fairtrade.org.uk

Faith Mall
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 8597/07766 504 947
faith.mall@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. To find out more about the bean sprouts go to www.fairtrade.org.uk

3. 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.

4. 7 in 10 households purchase Fairtrade goods,, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £800m in 2009, up from £712m in 2008. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK with 872 certified producer groups in the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers.

5. For more information on The Co-operative and Fairtrade, visit www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics

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