Environmental and social justice pressure group Co-op America is launching a campaign to urge major grocery retailers to make Fairtrade bananas more widely available in their stores.


The organisation wants US retailers to follow the lead of their European counterparts in embracing Fairtrade bananas and other fruit.


The group’s Fairtrade coordinator Yochanan Zakai believes there is still a lack of consumer awareness about fairtrade bananas.


“The chances are you have heard about Fairtrade coffee and Fairtrade tea, but you probably don’t know about Fairtrade bananas and other tropical fruit,” Zakai said. “Even though Fairtrade tropical fruits have been available in the US since 2004, they are relatively rare in the US. In Europe, where Fairtrade fruit has been available since the mid-1990s, sales of such bananas have been growing at a rate of about 50% a year. It’s time for US grocers to start making available Fairtrade bananas and other fruit.”


Co-op America said it was launching its campaign “amidst growing concerns about the human rights and environmental records of large conventional banana companies”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Participants in the campaign are asked to sign a web-based letter to major supermarket chains asking for more Fairtrade fruit.


At a local level, Co-op America is also looking to enlist consumers to lobby a supermarket in their community by sending emails, making phone calls and recruiting other local shoppers to the campaign.