The largest sugar cane refiner in Europe, UK’s Tate and Lyle, has announced that it is to switch to Fairtrade certified sugar supplies in Britain to benefit farmers in poor countries.
The company said that it would complete the move to Fairtrade by the end of 2009. It said that the move was the largest ever switch to Fairtrade sourcing of any major UK food or drink brand. It hopes to sell around 70,000 tonnes of Fairtrade sugar – ten times more than the current sales of the product.
The announcement was timed to link with the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, an awareness-raising set of events across the UK.