CAMPAIGNERS were outside a Devizes supermarket on Saturday to protest at its decision to take the Fairtrade mark off some of its own-brand tea.

Members of Devizes Fairtrade Group wanted to raise awareness about the change of policy at Sainsbury's which has led to some tea being replaced with the store's own fairly traded version.

Antonia Tolhurst co-ordinator of the Devizes group said: "Devizes residents were asked to sign a letter to the manager of Sainsbury's store challenging Sainsbury’s decision to abandon the Fairtrade mark on some of its own-brand tea in favour of its own scheme.

"Fairtrade guarantees tea producers receive an additional premium payment – on top of the price for their tea – to invest in their businesses and communities as they see fit.

"Devizes campaigners are concerned that tea farmers will lose control of the social premium they would earn under Sainsbury’s alternative scheme, with suppliers instead having to apply to a UK-based board for their funding."

She said they were also concerned that standards will be controlled by Sainsbury's and not independently. She said: "Tea farmers will not be represented in the scheme’s governance – a stark contrast to Fairtrade certification where producers are part of deciding how standards are set, monitored and reviewed. It is estimated nearly a quarter of a million tea farmers and workers will be affected.

Devizes Fairtrade Group gained Fairtrade Town status for the town in 2006 and continues to encourage more people to support Fairtrade. Sainsbury's store in Devizes has supported the group by donating Fairtrade prizes for competitions or Fairtrade bananas for publicity stunts.

Ms Tolhurst who organised the event, said: “We are concerned that the new Fairly Traded label will confuse people. Also Sainsbury's claims that their scheme is as good as Fairtrade so why don't they keep the Fairtrade Mark? ”

Bridget Selwyn local representative of the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development said: “Buying Fairtrade tea is a proven way to make a difference every time we drink a cup of tea, and the action by Devizes Fairtrade Group shows the mark is widely supported in Devizes and indeed, across the country.

“Sainsbury’s have been a leading retailer of Fairtrade products, making a real difference to the lives of tea farmers and their families in some of the world’s poorest countries. We’d like them to reconsider this decision to remove the Fairtrade mark from their own-brand tea.”

Online petitions asking Sainsbury's to keep the Fairtrade mark have already attracted over 130,000 signatures.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "Our Fairly Traded tea pilot will deliver even more benefits to farmers in Africa than the current Fairtrade model.

"We should be judged on the benefits we can bring to some of the most deprived communities in the world - not by which logo is on the packet of our tea."