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Chamber and committees

Sainsbury's and the Fairtrade Mark

  • Submitted by: Colin Smyth, South Scotland, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2017
  • Motion reference: S5M-06689

That the Parliament deeply regrets the reported decision by Sainsbury's to withdraw its own brand red and gold label tea from the Fairtrade Mark certification scheme; notes that the growth in recent years in the sales in the South Scotland region and across the country of products with the Fairtrade Mark has contributed significantly to the estimated £1.6 billion in retail sales of such products in the UK in 2015; further notes that such a level of sales generates an estimated £29.8 million in Fairtrade Premium, a communal fund for workers and farmers to use as they see fit to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions; believes that the proposal from Sainsbury’s takes that decision-making power away from workers and farmers and gives it to a board in the UK; urges Sainsbury’s to reverse its decision, and urges other supermarkets to keep Fairtrade certified products in their shops and develop their commitment to Fairtrade certification.


Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Jeremy Balfour, Claudia Beamish, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Kezia Dugdale, Neil Findlay, Iain Gray, Patrick Harvie, Alison Johnstone, Johann Lamont, Monica Lennon, Gordon Lindhurst, Richard Lochhead, Fulton MacGregor, Rona Mackay, Ben Macpherson, John Mason, Liam McArthur, Ivan McKee, Alex Rowley, Mark Ruskell, Andy Wightman