Legendary anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu has commended Co-op Group for being the first UK supermarket to sell fairly-traded South African wine.
Two own-brand wines went onto Co-op's shelves in 2,100 stores for Fair Trade Fortnight, which ends on Sunday. Co-op worked with UK fair trade organisation, Traidcraft, to establish a link with the Climor winery, in the Western Cape.
Tutu said: 'We congratulate Climor winery and Co-op on introducing the first supermarket fairly-traded South African wines. This will improve the quality of life of previously-disempowered farm workers.'
Co-op head of brand Terry Hudghton said: 'The biggest issue with fair trade in the UK is the lack of consumer awareness, but this has doubled in the past two years.'
The Co-op offers 37 lines of Fair Trade products, generating sales of about£7 million in a market worth£60 million annually.
Sainsbury's sales of fair trade goods has increased in the last year from£4.2 million to£11.5 million.
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