World Fair Trade Day
This article will take approximately 2 minutes to read
Published 5 May 2026 in Colleagues
Every second Saturday of May, World Fair Trade Day shines a spotlight on the transformative power of the Fair Trade business model and its positive impact on people and communities. This year's theme is: Together we are the Business Revolution!
Co-operatives have played a leading role in this movement for more than 30 years. Many everyday own-brand products are Fairtrade certified - including all own-brand tea, coffee, bananas, cocoa (used in chocolate and bakery products), bagged sugar and a wide range of flowers, including 100% Fairtrade roses. Co-ops were also the first UK retailers to introduce Fairtrade products across all stores, switch all own-brand coffee to Fairtrade, and source all own-brand cocoa on Fairtrade terms.
Beyond certification, not all fair trade happens through a label. OurCoop's Our Malawi Partnership is a great example - directly connecting Malawian smallholder farmers with UK consumers and strengthening farmer co-operatives through agricultural training, governance development and access to clean water and reforestation.
