Tesco has said it will prvide a living wage to its UK banana supply chain in an attempt to increase the pay of producers starting early next year.

The supermarket chain's sourcing director Giles Bolton outlined four pledges to help suppliers secure the benchmark wage that is “enough to meet their family’s basic needs including food, housing, education, healthcare, transport and clothing”.

Which also included the commitment to pay the living wage gap of banana producers equivalent to the volumes it sources for January 2022.

Northwich Guardian: The chain has set out a plan to commit to the change (PA)The chain has set out a plan to commit to the change (PA)

 

What will Tesco do?

Tesco have also committed to:

  • Make sure all producers have a time-bound commitment to pay all workers a living wage in place.
  • Reward suppliers that continue to progress towards closing the living wage gaps with higher volumes.
  • From January 2024 sourcing banana producers who pay a living wage to all workers.

From 2017 Tesco’s have sourced their bananas from the UK and Ireland, with the product produced in either Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified farms.

Although grown in the certified farms, the two schemes do not guarantee workers earn a living wage.

But Bolton has stated that they are working with partners World Banana Forum and IDH to ensure living wage benchmarks are met in all main banana producing countries, and doing so by supplying the needed to tools to end the wage gap.