The Fairtrade Foundation says British shoppers have 'bombarded' Asda and Tesco with more than 100,000 emails calling for the retailers to sell 100% fairtrade bananas.

The organization claims the emails have been distributed to head offices and local stores in recent weeks as part of a public campaign that pushes for both supermarkets to change banana sourcing models.

There have also been campaigns outside branches across the U.K. where supporters have dressed as bananas carrying an inflatable banana emblazoned with the message 'Go Fairtrade'.

Together Asda and Tesco sell almost half of the five billion bananas that U.K. shoppers buy annually, but both source less than 10% on fairtrade terms, claims the Fairtrade Foundation on its website.

It also says that because of supermarket price wars the cost of loose bananas has almost halved in the last decade while the cost of producing them has doubled, seriously affecting producers and farm workers in Latin American and African countries who are trapped in cycles of poverty.

But when www.freshfruitportal.com contacted both supermarkets, we were told that they were already making a commitment to ethically-sourced fruit.

For instance, a Tesco spokesperson claimed the retailer was a 'strong supporter of Fairtrade and is one of the biggest Fairtrade retailers in the U.K.'.

"But, as the Fairtrade Foundation itself recognises, what matters are the sourcing practices, not the label," says a statement sent to us.

"We aim to source all our food sustainably and to the highest ethical standards and in some cases we even exceed the Fairtrade standards.

"For example with bananas, we have direct relationships with our banana farmers and pay them on average 6% above the Fairtrade minimum price," the statement continues.

Asda responded to the Fairtrade Foundation claims that it should reassess its banana sourcing model and bow to pressure from the British public by claiming that in fact customers wanted a variety of options on the shelves.

"Our customers tell us time and again that they want choice and value, which is why we sell a range of delicious bananas including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Smartprice and organic, all at great prices," the retailer said in a statement sent to www.freshfruitportal.com.

"We work closely with all our growers and everything we source is fairly traded."

In contrast, the Fairtrade Foundation insists consumers want independent assurance that farmers in countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Ghana and Cameroon, are being paid a fair price, can consistently earn a stable wage, cover production costs and invest in farming communities.

www.fresfruitportal.com