Fairtrade certification
The Co-op's "Beyond Fairtrade" programme is run in addition to paying the standard 'Fairtrade Premium' payment. The programme has included working with many groups of smallholder farmers to establish democratic co-operative businesses to sell their product (to suppliers including the Co-op) and through the Co-op providing investment funding to enable the farming co-operatives who supply them to convert to Fairtrade certification. £475,000 in funding was provided between 2012 and 2014 for this programme. The business has also been involved in developing certification schemes for additional Fairtrade products (in association with the Fairtrade Foundation and Traidcraft) including wine (2001), rubber gloves (2014), coffins (2012) and charcoal (2009).