Central Co-op announces the UK’s first 100% Fairtrade macadamia nut product
Posted by lauryn mellor | Published: 09/07/2024
Central Co-op is thrilled to announce the launch of the UK’s first 100% Fairtrade certified macadamia nut product. This groundbreaking achievement is the result of a unique partnership with Nutcellars, the co-operative farmers they trade with through HIMACUL (Highlands Macadamia Cooperative Union Limited) and Central Co-op’s Our Malawi Partnership.
This exciting development highlights the joint dedication to ethical sourcing and the tangible benefits that the co-operative way of doing business brings. As Central Co-op celebrates the second anniversary of Our Malawi Partnership, these Fairtrade macadamia products stand as a testament to the power of Co-op Principle 6 - co-ops supporting co-ops.
Our Malawi Partnership launched in July 2022, selling a range of products linked to Malawi with a proportion of every sale helping to strengthen trading capacity in the region. Amongst this latest Fairtrade achievement, since 2023 Central Co-op’s Our Malawi Partnership initiative has:
Increased coffee production from 300,000 Kgs to 500,000 Kgs
Increased organic fertiliser use across local farmers
Supported 30 Co-op Union members with over 1,000 macadamia seedlings
Bought cleaner water to 37,000 people through One Foundation’s “Beyond Boreholes” programme
Debbie Robinson, Chief Executive at Central Co-op, comments: "We are proud to play our part of the introduction the UK’s first 100% Fairtrade macadamia nuts into our stores, a product that not only highlights our commitment to fair trading but also empowers Malawian smallholder farmers and producers. This initiative exemplifies our ongoing campaign as part of the International Co-operative Working Group, for producers and farmers to receive a fair deal for their products, enabling them to sustainably improve their trading opportunities and livelihoods."
The Fairtrade macadamia nuts will join Central Co-op’s existing range of products supporting Our Malawi Partnership. This initiative, launched on the 2nd of July 2022, in celebration of the 100th International Day of Co-operatives, aims to bolster trading capacity in Malawi. A portion of the proceeds from these products will directly support producers and farmers, reinforcing a commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Malawian farmers, their families and their communities. Our Malawi Partnership also secures the products we enjoy here in the UK for the future.
Ken Mkengala, Manager of HIMACUL, adds: “We need to applaud ourselves. We have done something that is unique. [With most] producers, you can’t trace where their nuts are going. We are able now to go to the UK, come back, and you’ll see that this is a Malawi product, certified with a FAIRTRADE Mark on it. I think it’s something Nutcellars and HIMACUL really need to be proud of.”
For four generations, the Emmott family have worked with smallholder farmers and co-ops in Malawi. Working with HIMACUL through their charity, Neno Macadamia Trust, they have been instrumental in getting smallholder macadamia production started. The fourth-generation Emmott family set up Nutcellars to facilitate the co-operative macadamia nut value chain and continue the legacy initiated by their great grandparents. This parallels the intergenerational crop that macadamia has become, with elderly farmers seeing the trees as their retirement crop - as well as their children's inheritance.
Nutcellar’s Andrew Emmott concluded: “We are proud to launch the UK’s first 100% Fairtrade macadamia nut products, which in partnership with HIMACUL has been more than 20 years in the making. During our latest Malawi trip, we met with the smallholder farmer co-ops that are directly supported by our Fairtrade products in Central Co-op, as part of the Our Malawi Partnership. The farmers who saw their products certified 100% Fairtrade are equally thrilled with this achievement.”
The mouthwatering salt roasted, chocolate coated and cinnamon caramelised Fairtrade 100g shareboxes of macadamia nuts will be available in Central Co-op shops ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight in September, in celebration of 30 years of co-op support for 30 years of Fairtrade.
In the meantime, Members and customers can find the existing range of Our Malawi Partnership products available to buy now in all Central Co-op shops, or for further details on Central Co-op’s Our Malawi Partnership, head to malawi.centralengland.coop/. Details on becoming a Member can be found at Members.coop.
ENDS
For press information
Press Office
pressoffice@centralcoop.co.uk
Lauryn Mellor, PR and Media Specialist at Central Co-op
lauryn.mellor@centralcoop.co.uk