Marks & Spencer today announced it will become the biggest retailer of Fairtrade cotton on the high street as it increases its range to offer Fairtrade cotton clothing for all the family from Fairtrade Fortnight (26 February – 11 March 2007). M&S stores will stock nearly 70 different items, including:
Baby two-piece outfits in organic Fairtrade cotton (£8).
Also new for the home are Fairtrade cotton fitted sheets (£18-24), pillowcases (£7.50), towels (£2-19.50) and tea towels (£7.50 for three). All the items carry a label to show the cotton is certified by the Fairtrade Foundation and carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. The majority of products will be available in over 100 stores and also on www.marksandspencer.com.
Stuart Rose, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer said:
“The demand from our customers for Fairtrade products is getting stronger. Our initial Fairtrade cotton range proved so popular last year that we’ve extended it and are now the biggest retailer of Fairtrade cotton on the high street. As part of our five year eco-plan, Plan A, we will bring even more Fairtrade cotton clothing into our stores, converting entire ranges like our basic men’s and women’s t-shirts. This will add up to around 20 million garments and will account for around one third of the world’s current supply of Fairtrade cotton.
“Last year we also converted all the tea and coffee we sell to Fairtrade, which meant over £340,000 in Fairtrade premium went directly back to our farmers to invest in their communities. Customers also welcomed our switch to Fairtrade tea and coffee as we saw sales increase by 5% over the year, against a declining market.”
Around 70,000 tea and coffee producers in 12 countries, including Ethiopia, Columbia and India, were involved in the conversion of 38 M&S product lines to Fairtrade. In addition to the guaranteed Fairtrade price these farmers receive, they also benefit from an additional premium which is helping to build a small hospital, pay school fees and support crop diversification.
The cotton used in M&S’ initial range of Fairtrade cotton t-shirts and socks launched last March, was produced by 50 Fairtrade cotton farmers in Gujarat, India. One year on, M&S is working with over 600 Fairtrade cotton farmers across Cameroon, Mali, Senegal and India, and is helping to develop the market further by bringing even more farmers into the Fairtrade system. The cotton farmers are using the Fairtrade premium to invest in much-needed social projects such as the development of a new school, a health centre, fresh drinking water facilities, a nursery and a literacy programme.
The Fairtrade products will be promoted during Fairtrade Fortnight with in-store décor and, for the first time, dedicated Fairtrade window displays in over 100 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
New Fairtrade products will also appear in M&S Food Halls this month with the introduction of Fairtrade wines from Argentina, South Africa and Chile. M&S will also convert all of its pineapples* to Fairtrade as well as all the sugar in its 13 jams and marmalades to Fairtrade. All of this adds to the Fairtrade fresh produce, honey, nuts and chocolate it already sells.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director, Fairtrade Foundation said:
“By choosing Fairtrade products, we can all make a real difference in the lives of farmers, workers and their families in developing countries. The growth of the Fairtrade product range in M&S over the past year has been truly remarkable. We’re delighted that M&S has shown real leadership in the conversions of its tea and coffee ranges, the incorporation of Fairtrade cotton into its clothing range and now the inclusion of Fairtrade sugar in jams and marmalades. As a result, many thousands of farming communities can look forward to a better future – using premiums from Fairtrade to bring positive change and a better future for their families and wider neighbourhoods.”
Feedback from the Fairtrade communities includes:
Hasmukh Patel, General Manager, Agrocel Industries Ltd, which produces Fairtrade cotton for M&S said: “Through Fairtrade, cotton farmers have the assurance of a minimum price, which gives them more security to plan their business. They also benefit from additional money, the Fairtrade premium, to invest in their communities. As the farmers organise themselves as a co-operative, they decide collectively how they will use the premium. This brings the community closer together and also empowers many of the women as for the first time as they are able to participate equally in the decision making process.”
Dali Kuldip Singh, Age 9, from one of the Fairtrade cotton communities in Gujarat, India, said:
“We didn’t have drinking water in our school so had to go back home for it. Fairtrade has provided us with a storage tank and seven taps. We are all very pleased that we don’t have to walk miles for drinking water anymore.”
For media enquiries:
Olivia Ross 020 8718 1618 / 07795 968 641
Clare Wilkes 020 8718 8642 / 07831 829 891
Bella Vuillermoz 020 8718 1967 / 07919 057 566
Notes to editors: