This week, UK retailer The Cooperative will start selling the first bean sprouts to have been grown from Fairtrade certified mung beans.
For the first time, a group of growers in Inner Mongolia have been granted Fairtrade certification, guaranteeing them a fair price for their mung beans, as well as a Fairtrade premium.
The Jurihe/Zhaluteqi farmer association, located near TongLiao City in Inner Mongolia, harvests and hand-sorts the mung bean seeds, which are then transported by sea to the UK, where they are grown into beansprouts and packed.
The bean sprouts, which have a limited shelf life, are grown in the UK to ensure optimum freshness and will retail at £0.50 (€0.58) for 300g.
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 bean sprouts 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, described the launch as a further step toward enabling consumers to make Fairtrade part of their everyday lives.
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