Waitrose has announced a partnership with Fairtrade to better support its banana supply chain.
For the first time, Waitrose bananas, which will continue to be certified as Fairtrade, will also join the Waitrose Foundation, which exists to create better livelihoods for workers and sustainable supply chains globally.
The new partnership will mean over 2p of every £1 spent on bananas will go to the growing communities, which is over and above the Fairtrade minimum price and Fairtrade premium.
“Growing the world’s most popular fruit, banana farmers and workers play a vital role in ensuring food security and wellbeing for millions of families worldwide,” said Kerrina Thorogood, partnerships director at the Fairtrade Foundation. “Yet they face mounting challenges – from rising production costs and climate change to pests, diseases, biodiversity loss, and inadequate infrastructure – all of which threaten their livelihoods.
“As part of our new partnership, Waitrose Foundation’s investment in the Sustainable Banana Programme will help to further strengthen the resilience and long-term viability of smallholder banana farmers and plantation workers.”
The additional programmatic activity, supported by Waitrose Foundation, will cover four areas of work: improving sustainable production of bananas, building the climate resilience of smallholder farmers, improving farm biodiversity to enhance soil health and yields, and supporting smallholders with data management and market access.
“We’re proud to announce this new partnership with Fairtrade, which coincides with the recent celebration of our Waitrose Foundation’s 20th anniversary and over £25m generated to date,” said Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose chief commercial officer and chair. “This partnership will continue our strong relationship with Fairtrade, helping support our global farms and their communities.”
During the 20 years of the Waitrose Foundation, it has given back £25m to communities in the Waitrose supply chain. It operates in 10 countries across two continents supplying fruit, vegetables, flowers and wine with workers helping to decide how Foundation funds should be spent.
Waitrose also pays the living wage differential on bananas from all its plantations.
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