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Reflecting a long-term commitment to their suppliers, in February 2008 Tate & Lyle announced a decision to convert all UK retail cane sugar to Fairtrade by the end of 2009.

The decision to move the entire range of UK retail cane sugars involved two years of planning and working in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation to help cane farmers in Belize to meet Fairtrade standards. This involved working with over 6,000 smallholder farmers represented by the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers’ Association, and with Belize Sugar Industries, the sole sugar processor in the country.

Over the years, these farming communities in Belize have been affected by higher input prices and changes in the EU market, not to mention natural disasters. Now, every time a customer buys a pack of Tate & Lyle Fairtrade cane sugar, the farmers will benefit from the commitment. In the first year alone, the move to Fairtrade will create an additional return of at least £2 million in premiums for these communities. This money will be invested collectively by farmers who decide democratically how to use it, overseen by an elected committee.