Waitrose is today announcing a major boost for the communities who grow the supermarket’s most popular item – the banana.
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. With this new partnership, 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. The projects which will benefit the local communities include; climate change adaptation, enhancing food and water security and improving soil fertility, which are collectively chosen by individual committees.
Bananas are the top selling product in Waitrose – added to shoppers baskets every second, meaning that many of the supermarket’s customers will be helping to make a direct difference to these growing communities.
The Waitrose Foundation has just celebrated its 20 year anniversary, and during that time 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. Some of the most recent projects have involved installing energy efficient cooking stoves, creche facilities and microloans for Kenyan flower farms.
Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose chief commercial officer and chair of Waitrose Foundation Global Board, said: “The Waitrose Foundation label on over 200 products, represents our commitment to building sustainable livelihoods within many of the most challenged parts of global agriculture. 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. This partnership will continue our strong relationship with Fairtrade, helping support our global farms and their communities.
“Feel good about eating a Waitrose banana, as not only is it one of your 30 plant varieties a week, it also tangibly helps improve the lives of people too.”
Kerrina Thorogood, partnerships director at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “At Fairtrade, we are proud of our longstanding partnership with Waitrose and are pleased to strengthen this further via the Waitrose Foundation and our shared commitment to banana farmers and workers. 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. 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.”
Waitrose commitment to 100% Fairtrade certified bananas and improved livelihood projects on the ground is further complemented by paying the living wage differential on bananas from all its plantations, delivering on its 2027 industry commitment two years early. The existing commitment to Fairtrade certified bananas ensures a Minimum Price and additional Fairtrade Premium goes to the producer groups. The additional programmatic activity, supported by Waitrose Foundation, will cover four critical 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.
