Sainsbury’s is broadening its commitment to Fairtrade produce with the introduction of South African Fairtrade grapes in selected stores this week.

The White Seedless pack, which contains the variety Sugraone, has gone on sale in 202 stores across the UK priced at £2.49 for 500g.

The initial offer will be product supplied through Karsten UK Ltd from Keboes Fruit Farms, which Karsten jointly owns along with a workers’ trust and a black empowerment group.

Keboes, a Fairtrade-accredited farm, is based in the Orange River area in the Northern Cape, adjacent to the Namibian border.

According to Sainsbury’s, the farm is a firm believer in the fact that its employees should take centre stage in all farming activities, and sharing profit and ownership is the backbone of its business.

This includes empowering people by finding the fine balance between productivity, social accountability and creating opportunities for people to grow.

It also supports social development, such as aids awareness programmes and literacy classes, which it says are just as important as productivity training in ensuring the long-term success of the company.

Buyer Nick Kendall, pictured, told FPJ: “We have been reviewing all opportunities to offer our customers Fairtrade product across fruit, and therefore grapes from South Africa are a natural progression in broadening that offer.”

The pack will change to contain Crimson grown in the Western Cape as the season progresses, allowing Sainsbury’s to extend its Fairtrade grapes offer.

Kendall said the chain hoped to continue stocking the line well into March, although this would depend on quality and customer reaction.

The move follows the recent announcement by Sainsbury’s to convert its entire banana category to Fairtrade.

Kendall said Sainsbury’s would continue to review its offer in order to identify opportunities where it can include a Fairtrade variant.

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