Starbucks Europe will only offer Fair Trade coffee

Starting March 2010 all the espresso coffee offered in the European Starbucks-establishements will be guaranteed Fairtrade. All cappuccino, mokka and other espresso products will than have a certificate that they are 100% Fairtrade and manufactured below the Starbucks Shared Planet norms and standards.

Starbucks already was the biggest purchaser of Fairtrade coffee and the step up to Fairtrade Certified espresso coffee in Europe supports the total amount of 2,8 million euro for the smaller coffee farmers.

The news was announced at the International Fairtrade Conference in Berlin. The announcement is in line with the long term coorperation between Starbucks and the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). It is a next step on the way to sustainability and the double of the purchasing of Starbucks Fairtrade coffee up to 18 million kilo by the end of 2009. Earlier this month Starbucks started with selling Fairtrade-espresso in her British and Irish establishements.

Albert Heijn Pure and Honoust assortment of FairTrade products

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, market leader in The Netherlands, launched an own premium brand range of “Pure and Honoust” products. (In Dutch: Puur & Eerlijk). Products have been cultivated, manufactured and purchased with respect to the people, animals, nature and environment.

Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk Sustainable Categories

The Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk range consists of five categories. These five categories are: AH Puur & Eerlijk biological food, fairtrade, sustainable fishing, free-range animals and ecological products. All the product groups are grouped under one brand name and one type of, environmental-friendly, packaging. The sustainability of the AH Puur & Eerlijk products are guaranteed by independent external organizations.

Fairtrade: Honoust Price

The Max Havelaar Certificate, which can be found at all the AH Pure&Honoust fairtrade products, guarantees that farmers in third world countries have good working conditions and have good access to the Western markets. This means they get honoust prices for their products. Currently there are 23 countries working with the Max Havelaar certificate. There is an increasing group of Fairtrade-certified product groups like coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, flowers and cotton.

What does the Max Havelaar Certificate mean?

The Max Havelaar certificate for fairtrade guarantees that the farmer obtains an honoust price for its products. This means that small farmers and their family can work for a better future. Fairtrade only works with small farmers, united in democratic farmer organizations. The farmers together are stronger and are able to better negotiate, furthermore they can get purchasing discounts, can obtain credits, improve their techniques by sharing knowledge and work on social facilities.

The development premium that farmers receive from Max Havelaar is given as social (economical) project. These type of projects take care of better living and working circunstances. The farmers can deal with their own situation. Fairtrade also wants them to take care of sustainable environment, there are strong rules for water, air, garbage, biodiversity etc. This will lead to further improvement and sometimes to a biological certificate.

More information on Max Havelaar.

Source pictures and text: www.albertheijn.nl

British Fair Trade Consumer Research

Despite the tough economic conditions at home, new research from Britain shows shoppers are showing increasing concern over the welfare of people producing their food and groceries in developing countries.

The study from international food and grocery expert IGD discovered that more than half (52%) of shoppers feel that the pay and conditions of people producing their groceries in poorer countries is an important consideration, while an additional third (34%) would like these workers to enjoy good conditions even if they don’t normally think about it.

Results of this IGD research are published in an article on the website Australian Food News. Click here to read the rest of the results on the British Fair Trade Research.

Cadbury´introducing international FairTrade Certification

Cadbury´s the UK confectioner advised that they will launch their Fairtrade cerfication on their Dairy Milk international, in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada. This Fairtrade dairy Milk has been succesfully launched in Great Britain and Ireland earlier this year.

Furthermore they are planning to certificate their Dairy Milk chocolate with the Fairtrade certificate.

For more information on the international fairtrade plans take a look here.

Understanding Fair Trade - Examples and best practises

Consumer Confidence – Understanding Fair Trade

The website EcoXOXO.com is a website specialized in green retailing, green products and eco-fashion. They offer innovative products, made of recycled, sustainable and renewable materials. The production methods of these clothes, the welness of the employees and the environmental effect of the production are key factors for this company. Green products are offered from non-biodegrable materials.

The section of Fair Trade shows the selection of the fair trade companies and the effect of selecting these companies.

The selection of the fair trade companies is very strict. Fair trade rules are a way of ensuring that trading partnerships are based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect. And, that they provide equal opportunities for all people, including advancement, and the right to organize. It ensures that honoust prices are calculated and that wages be fair in the local context. Also, the companies must be open to public accountability to ensure that national health, safety, and wage laws be upheld. And finally, that products be environmentally sustainable and conserve natural resources. It is important that you purchase products from underdeveloped nations whose counterparts abide by these practices. Otherwise, the impoverished remain powerless.

At their website in the section Fair Trade you can some selection of their fair trade projects and the story about these projects.

Fair Trade Guidelines: http://www.ecoxoxo.com/Fair_Trade.htm

Supermarket Sainsbury´s launches plan to support homeless people

The local supermarket in Peterborough, which belongs to the big UK retailer Sainsbury´s launched today its plan to help the homeless people. This charity cause is charity of the year mentions the website International Supermarket News. The plan includes dinners, customer participations and in-store activities.

The plan with the project name, “Hosanna” will arrange raffles and theme dinners, like for example with christmas. The local supermarket of Peterborough also reserved space and invites their customers to donate clothes for the homeless people.

As far as we could find out this Sainsbury´s supermarket is the first and only of this chain organizing this project.

For more information on this charity project of this supermarket take a look at this news article.

Carrefour: the social responsability of a big retailer: the success of the social grocery stores

Carrefour, the large French retailer, started 5 years ago a plan to give something back to the society. In Belgium they opened their first social grocery store, a corner store where the Business experience in Retailing and the wish to support an increasing number of poor families with food and non-food articles.

The first aim of this store concept was to provide grocery products, hygiene products and cleaning products free of charge or with a big discount. The stores are located close to the target group, at the first store 250 families. The store concept also supports social integration, the employees are younger people who get trained and educated to obtain experience and a possible job at the hypermarkets and supermarkets of Carrefour. In Belgium currently there are 5 of these social corner stores.

The store is provided with samples sent by the central purchasing department (from textile, home and garden and toys departments) or with specific pallets from the warehouses. Such products are 80% cheaper than the price people actually pay in the GB-branded shops and Carrefour Belgium shops. The store design was realized with the equipment no longer used in the main stores.
Local companies and organizations are involved in material and logistic support, taking part in the shops’ performances. The group supplies the corner stores with the required equipment (aisle shelves, refrigerators, display shelves).

The employees have shown real enthusiasm as well as solidarity related to their job, as 5 grocery shops were opened in Belgium and 6 of them in France. 561 Carrefour hypermarkets have been involved. The retail concept also further expanded internationally, with the opening of the first social grocery shop in Athens, and the wish to further roll-out the concept in the different countries Carrefour is present.

At this link you can find information on the opening and the second social grocery store that Carrefour opened in Greece (Piraeus)

www.carrefour.fr

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