Ethical Trade
As a Co-operative business, our values of openness, honesty and social responsibility are central to the way we do things.
Fairtrade - our achievements
In February 2005 we launched the first spirit in the UK to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark and the first ever Fairtrade honey ale. In March we played a major role in helping Manchester and Salford achieve joint 'Fairtrade Town' status. This was followed by a 'Fairtrade Friendly' pack to help primary school teachers and pupils gain an insight into the benefits fair trade can bring to developing countries. In October we launched the very first box of Truly Irresistible Fairtrade hand-finished chocolates.
Here is a time line of our other achivements:
Skip Table of Contents- 1992 - Cafedirect
- 1998 - Fairtrade Fortnight
- 1999 - Fairtrade Products in all stores
- 2000 - 1st FAIRTRADE Mark Bananas
- 2000 - Co-Op Fair Trade Divine Milk Chocolate
- 2000 - Fairtrade Pledge
- 2000 - Co-Op Fairtrade Roast and Ground Coffee
- 2001- Co-Op Fairly Traded Red Wine
- 2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Mangoes
- 2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Crispy White Chocolate
- 2002 - Co-Op Fairly Traded White Wine
- 2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Chocolate Cake
- 2002 - Chocolate Report
- 2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Pineapples
- 2001, 2002 - Fairtrade Awards
- 2003 - World Aware Award
- 2003 - New Co-Op Fairly Traded Wines
1992 - Cafedirect
The Co-operative is the first major retailer to sell FAIRTRADE Mark Cafedirect coffee. It now stocks an expanding range of fair trade products.
back to top1998 - Fairtrade Fortnight
The Co-operative establishes itself as the leading retail supporter of Fairtrade Fortnight. In-store promotional features are supplemented when The Co-operative mobilises its members by calling for voluntary membership action in-store to help raise consumer awareness of fairtrade.
back to top1999 - Fairtrade Products in all stores
The Co-operative makes a strategic decision to stock a FAIRTRADE Mark tea and instant coffee in all of its stores, even the smallest community store. This means that The Co-operative has the largest number of outlets selling FAIRTRADE Mark products. (All store stocking now includes Fairtrade chocolate and roast and ground coffee).
back to top2000 - 1st FAIRTRADE Mark Bananas
The Co-operative becomes the first retailer to bring FAIRTRADE Mark bananas to the UK. This move signals a breakthrough in the campaign to support small, independent producers and shows The Co-operative's commitment to Fairtrade. When The Co-operative shoppers choose FAIRTRADE Mark Bananas they will be helping to improve the lives of many poor and marginalised producers.
back to top2000 - Co-Op Fair Trade Divine Milk Chocolate
Another Fairtrade First - The Co-operative scores a supermarket first with the launch of its own label Fairtrade Milk Chocolate, in conjunction with the Day Chocolate Company, makers of Divine. The chocolate is the first in a number of own label Fairtrade products planned by The Co-operative.
back to top2000 - Fairtrade Pledge
The Co-operative food, in partnership with, The Co-operative bank launch the Fairtrade Pledge which invites customers to pledge to buy one FAIRTRADE Mark product a month.
back to top2000 - Co-Op Fairtrade Roast and Ground Coffee
Another Supermarket first for The Co-operative as it launches its third Co-Op Brand Fair Trade product.
back to top2001- Co-Op Fairly Traded Red Wine
The Co-operative launches the UK's first supermarket fairly traded wine - Co-Op Fair Trade Chilean Carmenere This is another ground breaking venture for The Co-operative as at present no internationally agreed criteria exist for fair trade on wine, therefore it has been made possible to bring the product to our shelves through partnership with Traidcraft whose expertise in establishing fairly traded products has been used to set up a program of support and development for the producers of the wine, the Los Robles Co-operative.
back to top2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Mangoes
The Co-operative's Fairtrade mangoes are the first Fairtrade mangoes to go on sale in the World. The Co-operative - which also was the first British supermarket to stock Fairtrade bananas in 2000 - is thus continuing in its tradition of 'Fairtrade firsts'.
back to top2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Crispy White Chocolate
The Co-operative introduces a Crispy White Chocolate to its growing Fairtrade range. This white chocolate is unique to The Co-operative.
back to top2002 - Co-Op Fairly Traded White Wine
Following the successful 2001 launch of the Co-Op Fair Trade Chilean Carmenere - the Uk's first supermarket own brand fairly traded wine - The Co-operative once again works in partnership with Traidcraft to bring another excellent product from the Los Robles Co-operative to UK consumers.
back to top2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Chocolate Cake
The ninth product to join the expanding range of Co-Op own-brand fairly traded products is the delicious Co-Op Fair Trade Chocolate Cake. The Fairtrade product of its kind, takes Fairtrade into a new product area and introduces many more customers to the concept of Fairtrade.
back to top2002 - Chocolate Report
The Co-operative Food Crime investigation looks into exploitation of the developing world. The report focuses on the poverty of West African Cocoa growers and shows what a huge difference can be made by supporting Fairtrade. At this time The Co-operative takes the momentous step in converting all its own brand block chocolate to Fairtrade.
back to top2002 - Co-Op Fair Trade Pineapples
The Co-operative brings the world's first Fairtrade pineapples to the UK. They are grown by the Asoproagroin association of pineapple farmers in Costa Rica.
back to top2001, 2002 - Fairtrade Awards
The Co-operative's commitment to Fairtrade is recognized within the industry through prestigious awards including the highest accolade from our peers in the retail industry. The Co-operative is confirmed as Multiple Retailer of the Year at the Prestigious Retail Industry Awards 2002, where the judges highlight our Fairtrade actions as one of the reasons. Other accolades include the award for in-store Promotion of the Year at the Retail Week Awards and the Retail Industry Award for Marketing Campaign of the year 2001 for our Fairtrade Campaign.
back to top2003 - World Aware Award
The Co-operative scoops a major award at the Worldaware Business Awards in recognition of its commitment to fair trade. The Co-operative receives the Award for Sustainable Development which recognizes the contribution that commercial activity can make to the sustainable growth of developing countries throughout the world.
back to top2003 - New Co-Op Fairly Traded Wines
The Co-operative launches the first supermarket own brand fairly traded South African wines Co-Op Fair Trade Cape Trinity and Co-Op Fair Trade Cape Unity. At the same time, The Co-operative launches the first fairly traded boxed wine, Co-Op Fair Trade Chilean Shiraz Cabernet 3 litre.
back to top
