How does that work then?
In Dec 2005, didn’t Ethical Consumer say that good ole M&S were the third least ethical clothes shop (after Primark and Mk One) by ranking the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes?
Maybe this is Marks and Spencer’s response… if so, it’s good that the leopard might be changing their spots. But then PETA might not be happy about that…
Sigh – you really can’t win if you’re a high street retailer: online retailing on the one hand, and us fickle campaigning opinionated consumers on the other.
I think that is one of the problems with fair trade - it's too easy and it doesn't go deep enough, but it makes people feel that everything is ok. I prefer fair trade goods to exploitative goods but so many people think that if they buy fair trade coffee they are doing their bit, that that is enough. There is so much more that needs doing - a whole global system which needs to be changed. Fair trade is charity - we can choose to give people a fair price for their work or we can choose to buy something cheap, and we feel good about ourselves when we do it. What is required is justice - people should be paid a living wage and we should not be legally able to exploit them.
By 
Sarah, at 10:17 AM GMT
It does sounds like a kneejerk press release 'look we're ethical really.. we sell fairtrade coffee!'.
Nothing in there about workers rights, nothing there about company buying policy...
By Tony, at 4:56 PM GMT