5,000 signatures reached
To: Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury's, & to other UK retailers
Tell Sainsbury's Not To Abandon Fairtrade
Rethink your decision and to continue to support the Fairtrade Foundation.
Why is this important?
Sainsbury's have started a trial of its own 'Fairly Traded' label to replace their support of the Fairtrade certification scheme.
The Fairtrade Foundation is an internationally renowned and respected certification scheme, which empowers and supports farmers around the globe by ensuring they are paid a minimum price for their produce, as well as a financial bonus which is reinvested in their local communities in the form of education, pensions, and sick pay. Fairtrade ensures that the entire supply chain of companies is independently audited, and their work directly helps those living below the global poverty line. Whilst not perfect, they are the gold standard in ethical trading.
Sainsbury's is the latest in a line of companies who are choosing to abandon their support of Fairtrade in favour of their own schemes. Where Sainsbury's differs from some other companies though, is that they had been such a large champion of Fairtrade, that their potential withdrawal from it could start a ripple effect which could lead to the beginning of the end of the scheme.
Whilst Sainsbury's' own scheme will guarantee a minimum price for producers, the financial bonus will no longer go straight to the farmers that deserve it, but instead will have to be approved by a Sainsbury's foundation. This directly disempowers farmers who work hard to produce the items we take for granted in our weekly shops, such as tea, coffee, sugar, and bananas. Farmers will no longer be guaranteed this bonus, which can run into thousands of pounds and make a critical difference in poorer parts of the world.
Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation says that the Sainsbury's scheme does not meet Fairtrade’s core principles, particularly in the area of “producer empowerment”.
Many people believe that Sainsbury's are introducing this scheme as a cost-cutting measure to improve their own bottom line. Urge them to rethink their policy and not to abandon their support of Fairtrade.
For more info, read here:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jun/24/fairtrade-crashing-down-sainsburys-tesco-tea-growers-nairobi
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Media-Centre/News/May-2017/Open-letter-to-Sainsburys-from-Fairtrade-producers
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/buying-and-supplying/sourcing/ngos-attack-sainsburys-over-fairtrade-row/553567.article
The Fairtrade Foundation is an internationally renowned and respected certification scheme, which empowers and supports farmers around the globe by ensuring they are paid a minimum price for their produce, as well as a financial bonus which is reinvested in their local communities in the form of education, pensions, and sick pay. Fairtrade ensures that the entire supply chain of companies is independently audited, and their work directly helps those living below the global poverty line. Whilst not perfect, they are the gold standard in ethical trading.
Sainsbury's is the latest in a line of companies who are choosing to abandon their support of Fairtrade in favour of their own schemes. Where Sainsbury's differs from some other companies though, is that they had been such a large champion of Fairtrade, that their potential withdrawal from it could start a ripple effect which could lead to the beginning of the end of the scheme.
Whilst Sainsbury's' own scheme will guarantee a minimum price for producers, the financial bonus will no longer go straight to the farmers that deserve it, but instead will have to be approved by a Sainsbury's foundation. This directly disempowers farmers who work hard to produce the items we take for granted in our weekly shops, such as tea, coffee, sugar, and bananas. Farmers will no longer be guaranteed this bonus, which can run into thousands of pounds and make a critical difference in poorer parts of the world.
Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation says that the Sainsbury's scheme does not meet Fairtrade’s core principles, particularly in the area of “producer empowerment”.
Many people believe that Sainsbury's are introducing this scheme as a cost-cutting measure to improve their own bottom line. Urge them to rethink their policy and not to abandon their support of Fairtrade.
For more info, read here:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jun/24/fairtrade-crashing-down-sainsburys-tesco-tea-growers-nairobi
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Media-Centre/News/May-2017/Open-letter-to-Sainsburys-from-Fairtrade-producers
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/buying-and-supplying/sourcing/ngos-attack-sainsburys-over-fairtrade-row/553567.article
How it will be delivered
e-mail signatures, or possibly deliver in person
