UK: ‘Ethical shopping’ fund announced to bring more ethically products into UK shops

Gareth Thomas, Minister for Trade and International Development, has announced a new £2 million (2.7m euro) fund to help increase the UK market for sustainably produced food from Africa.

The Food Retail Industry Challenge Fund (FRICH) has been launched at "Ethical Shopping at the Crossroads – out of the niche and into the mainstream", the UK Co-operative Forum's conference organised by Co-operatives UK and partners.

Announcing the funding Gareth Thomas said: ?This fund will help bring together retailers and African farmers to increase the market for sustainably produced food.

"By purchasing Fairtrade labelled, Organic and other certified products from developing countries, people are already making a real difference to poor farmers' lives, but we want to go further as I don't think we can rely on these labels alone. We need to trade more with the poorest countries in Africa, and we want more of this trade to be fair and ethical. This is why we are announcing the FRICH. The FRICH is designed to help African farmers come up with innovative business ideas to compete in our globalised world. We want to see new products in our shops so that many more African farmers have fairer and more profitable trading relationships with UK shoppers. "

Gareth has also asked to more British firms to join the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which aims to tackle poor working condition in developing countries, bringing together businesses, trade unions and NGOs.

Gareth said: "The ETI needs to be strengthened. Major British retailers have still not joined the initiative. Philip Green's Arcadia is one. B&Q is another. The John Lewis Partnership is one of Britain's most respected retailers, ETI members have a lot to learn from John Lewis. I am calling on all three companies to sign up to ETI today."

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, trade union and non-government organisations that work together to promote the implementation of corporate codes of labour practice. ETI is recognised as the field leader in defining and disseminating corporate responsibility for promoting the rights of workers in global supply chains. ETI is a membership organisation which was founded in 1997 with the strong support of Department for Trade and International Development.

www.dfid.gov.uk