Sainsbury’s has revealed that every banana bought at the supermarket will contribute towards paying thousands of workers a fairer wage and support banana growers in Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Ghana.
Last year, Sainsbury’s, along with nine other UK retailers brought together by IDH, committed to helping workers employed on large banana plantations to receive a living wage by 2027.
Sainsbury’s has taken action to address living wages now, three years ahead of the industry commitment.
The price the supermarket is paying for every box of bananas now covers the cost of the fruit, plus a premium which is invested into workers’ wages.
The remainder of the premium goes towards helping the environment, by supporting the banana growers to implement sustainable farm practices, such as capturing carbon, reducing water footprints and improving biodiversity and soil health.
Sainsbury’s has also moved to four-year contracts to give its growers greater stability and financial security.
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Sainsbury’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability Ruth Cranston said: “Bananas are our bestselling fruit and by improving wages on this product we can positively impact the lives of thousands of people in the countries we source from.
“But we want every banana worker across the entire industry to benefit and we can’t do this alone, that’s why we’re urging other retailers to act now so that all workers can be paid fairly.
“By choosing Sainsbury’s bananas, our customers are helping to both enrich workers’ livelihoods through fairer pay and tackle climate change, supporting a thriving and enduring banana industry for the long term.
“This has all been possible thanks to our longstanding relationships with Fairtrade and Fyffes. We look forward to many more years of working together as partnership is the key to creating resilient and responsible supply chains.”
