Co-op Group says it can't fully commit to Fairtrade products

The Co-operative Group has told its members that it cannot fully commit to stock Fairtrade products because of increased competition in the sector.

The company, Britain’s largest mutual, added that a shift in focus towards convenience stores would also prevent it from making an enhancement commitment to Fairtrade products.

The news comes in response to a motion, presented ahead of the next annual general meeting, asked the group to reiterate its commitment to Fairtrade and maintain its long-term objective that if a “Co-operative product can be Fairtrade, it will be Fairtrade”.

However, the board said it could not commit to the meet all the requests of the motion, because of “the austere market climate we continue to face and the strategic direction of the business into convenience shops which naturally increases pressure on space and range”.