The controversy over Nestlé’s association with the Fairtrade label has continued to brew into the new year, following the introduction of Nestlé’s first Fairtrade brand, “Partner’s Blend” coffee.

A fellow columnist, Mallen Baker, recently argued on these pages that the Swiss giant had been “unfairly roasted” over this “welcomed” move – a move that was announced just as allegations of links to paramilitary violence in Colombia and news of a union leader’s death at a Nestlé factory protest in Philippines were hitting the headlines.

Yes, it can be fairly argued that a Fairtrade Nestlé brand is a much-needed injection of mainstream muscle for the Fairtrade movement and a step in the right direction for Nestlé. But we need to consider the background to this development in order to understand why it has been met with so much opposition by campaigning organisations and Fairtrade supporters in the UK.

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