Feb. 25, 2008 - British sugar manufacturer Tate & Lyle has announced plans to source 100% of its retail sugar cane from Fairtrade-certified suppliers. The program is the culmination of a two-year partnership with the U.K.-based Fairtrade Foundation, a nonprofit that helps Central American cane farmers meet Fairtrade standards.

"In terms of size and scale, this is the biggest ever Fairtrade switch by a U.K. company and it’s tremendous this iconic U.K. brand is backing Fairtrade," says Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation.

To earn Fairtrade certification, manufacturers must pay producers a fair wage and commit to strict environmental and social standards.

The first Tate & Lyle product to be carry the Fairtrade logo will be granulated white sugar sourced from Belize. The company aims to have all of its retail cane sugar products sourced from Fairtrade growers by the end of 2009.