Latest news on ethical and eco friendly living in the United Kingdom
published twice a week
Ethical Ads
Food, drink and nutrition
Mung Beans- another Fairtrade First for the Co- 21.05.10
The Co-op, the most innovative and customer owned supermarket chain in the UK has not slowed down it ethical sourcing drive despite the economic downturn. Working with growers from Inner Mongolia and the Fairtrade Foundation they have now launched another market first with Fairtrade bean sprouts.
Beansprouts - eaten widely in Chinese cuisine such as stir-fries - are grown from mung beans, which are widely cultivated in China.
For the first time, a group of growers in Inner Mongolia have been given Fairtrade certification, which means they will receive a fair price for their mung beans, as well as a Fairtrade premium.
The Jurihe/Zhaluteqi farmer association is located near TongLiao City in Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolia is the third largest subdivision of China and one of China’s poorest rural areas. Families in the Jurihe village are particularly needy. Many children do not get a basic education, as schools are old and ill equipped and the children have to walk more than an hour to reach the school. In winter, temperatures are below minus 20 degrees Celsius
The Fairtrade premium will allow the village to improve education facilities and the condition of local schools, as well as providing materials and equipment. It will also support local families by funding items for their houses such as heaters and warm clothes for winter.
After the mung bean seeds are harvested by the growers, they are hand-sorted and transported by sea to the UK, where they are grown into beansprouts and packed for The Co-operative.
The beansprouts, which have a limited shelf life, are grown in the UK to ensure optimum freshness, whilst avoiding the use of air freight.
Leah Willcock, Produce Buyer at The Co-operative, commented: “We are delighted to be first-to-market with beansprouts grown using Fairtrade certified mung beans. With this move, we are supporting the Jurihe/Zhaluteqi farmer association, whilst also improving our customer offer. The new beansprouts will replace the standard offer but remain at the same price, so our customers can buy this ethical product with no additional cost to themselves.”
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “The launch of beansprouts grown from Fairtrade Mung Beans in The Co-operative is another step towards enabling consumers to make Fairtrade part of their everyday lives. It is especially exciting to be opening the door to producers from Inner Mongolia to join the Fairtrade family. Congratulations to The Co-operative who, with enthusiastic support from their members and customers, have always been at the forefront of Fairtrade.”
The Co-operative Beansprouts grown from Fairtrade Mung Beans 300g (50p) will be available in selected Co-operative and Somerfield stores from 26 May 2010. For further information and local stores, customers can call The Co-operative Customer Careline on (freephone) 0800 0686 727. For more information on The Co-operative and Fairtrade, visit www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics
Comment on this article
1 Comment
Related articles
- Salmon- 7 impacts of aquiculture
- IFOAM urges FAO to develop work programs based on ecological intensification
- Meet 3 leading Fairtrade producers at Caffé Culture
- Cut salt and saturated fat levels demands NICE
- Food industry has buried Health warnings says Green MEP
- Food Industry spends €1 billion in fight against health warnings
- 100 B&Q stores start to sell Fairtrade Cotton
- Fair Trade Vegetables Market Takes Root
- Global Fairtrade sales rise 15% to €3.4 Billion
Related product news categories
|
