Fairtrade tea furore ‘a storm in a teacup’

A PETITION signed by Fairtrade campaigners across Hinckley and Bosworth prompted a parliamentary discussion.

Members of Hinckley and Bosworth Fairtrade Forum were among those who backed an online Change.org petition calling on Sainsbury’s to rethink plans to replace Fairtrade-certified products with equivalents carrying its own Fairly Traded branding.

A pilot scheme has already seen the supermarket chain replace Fairtrade-certified tea with products bearing its own Fairly Traded logo.

Prompted by the petition, more than 60 MPs signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) which stated: “This House deeply regrets the decision by the supermarket Sainsbury’s to drop the Fairtrade mark for its own-brand tea and develop its own certification scheme.”

It went on to say that: “The Fairtrade Foundation is a respected organisation and part of a global network that strives to ensure that farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal for their produce”

And it added that: “It considers the Fairtrade Foundation to have a proven track record over 25 years of making a real and significant difference to the lives of farmers and workers, and of supporting better farming, strong cooperatives and investment in collective assets to improve crops and yields and urges other supermarkets to remain with and strengthen their commitment to Fairtrade certification.”

Bosworth MP David Tredinnick (Con) did not sign the motion.

He said: “I think this is a storm in a teacup.

“What we are talking about here making sure that the people who produce the tea get fairly remunerated.”

Chairman of the borough’s Fairtrade Forum, and member of the East Midlands Fairtrade Foundation campaign group, Mathew Hulbert said: “As a Fairtrade campaigner and a regular attendee of events held in Parliament by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fairtrade, I very much welcome the early day motion and would encourage MPs of all parties and those with no party affiliation to sign it.

“I hope that the petition and this early day motion will encourage store executives to re-think this matter and retain the Fairtrade Mark and all that goes with it for their tea.”

Fairtrade Foundation head of campaigns Jonathan Smith said: “Sainsbury’s are the largest retailer of Fairtrade products in the UK, and have proudly supported it for many years.

“That’s why we’re hopeful that through discussions, we can still persuade them to change their approach and keep their ownbrand tea Fairtrade certified.” To find out more about Hinckley and Bosworth Fairtrade Forum email Mr Hulbert at mathewhulbert@ hotmail.co.uk