Fairtrade

Ethical products “too pricey” and untrustworthy, say shoppers

Almost half of all shoppers (45%) are put off buying ethical products because they’re too expensive. The survey of 2,000 consumers, commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation for Fairtrade Fortnight, also found that 16% of consumers shun ethical products because they… Read More
Is Fairtrade fair game?

Sainsbury’s has suffered a PR fiasco after ditching the label on some of its teas – but there are legitimate questions about whether the certification scheme works. By David Burrows. Joanna Blythman – the self-proclaimed “thorn in the flesh” of… Read More
Farmers’ fair-weather friend?

Campaigners have cried foul over Sainsbury’s decision to stop working with the Fairtrade Foundation on tea, but is it really the ‘regressive step’ critics claim? By David Burrows. Sainsbury’s was one of the first retailers to sell Fairtrade products, and… Read More
Producers and campaigners cry foul over Sainsbury’s Fairtrade move

This month, Sainsbury’s will replace the Fairtrade badge on its own-brand teabags and replace it with its own “Fairly Traded” label. The move has angered producers and campaign groups. The project is part of new pilot scheme to help Sainsbury’s… Read More
OOH experiences British food boom

Caterers involved in the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark spent £49.7m on British food last year – up 40% on 2015. There have also been “dramatic increases” in spend on organic, Marine Stewardship Council, RSPCA and Fairtrade accredited… Read More
Labels v taxes: which way to cut carbon?

Politicians need to encourage a shift to sustainable diets in the fight against climate change. The big question is how. What does a kilo of greenhouse gases buy you in the supermarket? Researchers at Lancaster University and RMIT in Melbourne,… Read More
Make food fair, say shoppers

Two in three people think farmers are underpaid. Meanwhile, the majority believe that food companies (92%) and government (85%) should take responsibility for delivering fair and sustainable food. The figures come from a new survey of 1,004 consumers, published by… Read More
Time for a serious rethink of sustainability standards to tackle the urgent climate challenges the world is facing

For many years I have worked with some of the world’s largest conservation bodies, businesses and other civil society organisations to develop sustainability standards for a wide range of globally traded commodities. Many of these focus on specific sustainability challenges, such… Read More
Matthew Gorton explains how a new project could improve public procurement and reduce childhood obesity

In the UK, there has been decline over the past few years in the quality of institutional food (schools, hospitals, prisons etc). Authorities have banded together to get a better deal to reap economies of scale with contracts typically won… Read More
The 10 big issues for 2016

SUGAR AND supply chains, pay rises and publicity: the topics that’ll dominate the industry’s agenda in the new year. 1 Guns stay fixed on sugar Sugar leapfrogged salt and saturated fat… Read More