Marks & Spencer today announced it will become the first high street retailer to sell a range of jeans and underwear for men and women, made from Fairtrade cotton. These wardrobe basics will be available from July in a selection* of Marks & Spencer stores and on www.marksandspencer.com. This follows the success of Marks & Spencer's existing Fairtrade cotton range of t-shirts and socks, which were launched during Fairtrade Fortnight (March 2006).

The vintage style Fairtrade cotton jeans are priced at £35. The underwear range for women will include vests (£12 for two), shorts and high leg knickers (£8 for two) in mint and pink ice, and for men, boxers and trunks (both £15 for two) in black and white.

In addition, Marks & Spencer's extended Fairtrade cotton range will include the following products from July, all carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark:

• Double-layered (£10) and printed (£12) t-shirts for women
• Round neck t-shirts (£8) for men in four different colours
• Socks for women (£4 for two) and men (£5 for two)

The Fairtrade cotton used in the jeans and underwear is produced by farmers in Mali and Senegal in Africa. The premium they are receiving from the jeans and underwear will help them to invest in the development of a new school, health centre and nursery. The farmers in Gujarat, India, who are producing cotton used in the t-shirts and socks, have been able to invest in fresh drinking water for a local school, health insurance for the farmers and health education for children.

Stuart Rose, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer, said:
"Customers want stylish quality products at great value but are thinking more about ethical issues when they go shopping. Our existing Fairtrade cotton t-shirts and socks have been so popular with customers that we're now extending the range to include jeans and underwear. This is good news not only for our customers but also for the hundreds of farmers we are able to help in Africa and India."

Ian Bretman, Deputy Director, Fairtrade Foundation said:
"We are pleased that consumer response to Marks & Spencer's initial clothing from Fairtrade certified cotton was so good that Marks & Spencer is extending its range so quickly. This is further demonstration that shoppers really do want a Fairtrade lifestyle, enabling more and more people in developing countries to benefit from the Fairtrade system."

A recent YouGov** survey commissioned by Marks & Spencer found that consumers are becoming more ethically minded with 78% saying they would like to know more about the way goods are made including the conditions in the factories where they are produced. 59% said they already purchase Fairtrade products and 18% said they would buy Fairtrade items if they were more widely available on the high street.

In addition to Fairtrade cotton clothing, Marks & Spencer recently converted its entire range of coffee to Fairtrade and will convert all its tea over the coming months. The move is estimated to increase the value of all Fairtrade instant and ground coffee sold in the UK supermarkets by 18%, and increase the value of Fairtrade tea by approximately 30%. The Fairtrade coffee and tea is helping coffee farmers to build new school facilities in countries such as Ethiopia and enabling thousands of farmers worldwide to invest in their communities.

Marks & Spencer's commitment to Fairtrade is a key part of its Look behind the label campaign. Launched in January, the campaign aims to tell its customers about the way its products are sourced and made.

-Ends-

For further information:
Olivia Ross: 020 8718 1919

Notes to editors

* Marks & Spencer's Fairtrade cotton stock availability:

• Women's jeans: 105 stores
• Men's jeans: 10 stores
• Women's underwear: 10 stores
• Men's underwear: 10 stores
• Men's socks: 40 stores
• Women's socks: 10 stores

All products also available on www.marksandspencer.com

Marks & Spencer's Fairtrade cotton range includes (all available from mid-July):

• Menswear:
  • £35 vintage jeans
  • £8 round neck t-shirts in white, black, indigo and khaki
  • £15 pack of two pairs of trunks in white and black
  • £15 pack of two pairs of boxers in white and black
  • £5 pack of two pairs of socks in black and beige

• Womenswear:
  • £35 vintage jeans
  • £8 pack of two pairs of high leg knickers in fresh mint and pink ice
  • £10 double-layered t-shirts in soft green, antique pink, mink, light indigo
  • £12 printed t-shirts in antique pink and mink
  • £8 pack of two pairs of shorts in fresh mint and pink ice
  • £12 pack of two vests in fresh mint and pink ice
  • £4 pack of two pairs of socks in black

The retailer first launched its Fairtrade cotton clothing range during Fairtrade Fortnight (March 2006) with a range of t-shirts and socks.

Fairtrade coffee, tea and cotton imagery is available on www.mandslibrary.com.

The Fairtrade Foundation certifies products with the FAIRTRADE Mark and promotes Fairtrade. Inspection and audit ensures the producers meet the Fairtrade standards of a democratic and participative structure where Fairtrade premiums are used to improve social conditions or the economic infrastructure.

Marks & Spencer sources coffee and tea from a number of Fairtrade co-operatives in countries including Ethiopia, Indonesia and Tanzania.

Marks & Spencer stocks a range of Fairtrade certified foods, including honey, chocolate, avocados, pineapples, mangos and bananas.

Marks & Spencer insists on all its products being sourced and manufactured to its high quality and ethical standards. It is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and has developed its Global Sourcing Principles, which outline the Company's standards for ethical sourcing. M&S asks that all its suppliers comply with their Principles and regularly audit their operations against them. Its achievements have been recognised by independent organisations such as the RSPCA (animal welfare) and Greenpeace (wood and fish sourcing).

**YouGov interviewed 2,300 people in the UK for Marks & Spencer in January 2006.

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