CMA informal guidance: Fairtrade environmental sustainability agreement
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued informal guidance to the Fairtrade Foundation in relation to an environmental sustainability agreement concerning Fairtrade bananas, coffee and cocoa.
Documents
Details
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provided informal guidance to the Fairtrade Foundation, under its open-door policy set out in the Green Agreements Guidance (CMA185), 2023: Green agreements guidance.
What this informal guidance is about
The request relates to Fairtrade鈥檚 planned Shared Impact Initiative for the sourcing of Fairtrade banana, coffee and cocoa products by participating UK grocery retailers. The stated objective of the Shared Impact Initiative is to use longer-term supply arrangements between the retailers and participating Fairtrade producers to provide the producers with the security they need to invest in sustainable practices, including farming practices which reduce the environmental impact of production.
Read the press release: CMA issues its first informal guidance to help green initiatives (14.12.23)
Why the CMA has published this informal guidance
The CMA wrote to the Fairtrade Foundation and has published the annex to that letter. The CMA hopes that publishing its informal guidance (where appropriate) may support similar agreements to proceed with confidence in terms of complying with competition law (7.17 green agreements guidance).
How to contact the CMA
Send any new requests for informal guidance to [email protected]