The five garments made from Fairtrade certified cotton are a unisex polo shirt, unisex T shirt, long apron, bar apron and bib apron. It is hoped that the range will expand in to other areas and styles.

Dionne Moy, sales and marketing manager at The Co-operative Clothing, said:  "The Co-operative was the first major supermarket to embrace Fairtrade and has continued to lead the industry ever since the inception of the Fairtrade Mark - from introducing the UK to Fairtrade bananas to pioneering whole category switches such as own brand chocolate bars, hot drinks and cotton wool.

"It is indicative of The Co-operative's deep commitment to Fairtrade that we have, through The Co-operative Clothing, now extended our offer into workwear. With an increasing number of businesses committing to Fairtrade support themselves, we are confident that the new range will prove extremely popular as these companies are able to visibly demonstrate this commitment to their employees and to their customers."

Fairtrade is an alternative to conventional international trade, providing a guaranteed minimum price to farmers for raw materials from developing countries, as well as the payment of a social premium to allow for democratically agreed investment in community projects such as education, water supplies and medical facilities.

Fairtrade-certified cotton garments are manufactured in a factory in India that meets both SA8000 social accountability standards and ISO14000 standards.  This monitoring extends well beyond quality assurance to ensure that employees' working conditions, recreational amenities, local services and general standard of living are to acceptable levels.

Dionne continued:  "The Fairtrade Mark is now recognised by over 70% of the population and as Fairtrade celebrates its fifteenth anniversary, The Co-operative is proud of the significant part we have played in making the UK the largest Fairtrade consumer market in the world.  In line with Co-operative values and principles, we are committed to best practice in labour standards and environmental management and are delighted to be introducing the Fairtrade Mark into our clothing range."

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