Ben & Jerry's wants to role out Fairtrade across its range

Its classic vanilla flavour is the first in the firm's range to get the certification, but Ben & Jerry's plans to extend it to all its products.

The move will help guarantee better and more stable prices for its vanilla and sugar producers.

Based in Vermont in the US, Ben & Jerry's was founded in 1978. Since 2000 it has been owned by Anglo-Dutch food and consumer goods giant Unilever.

Sustainable farming

"The whole concept of fair trade goes to the heart of our values and the sense of right and wrong," said Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield.

"Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else."

Sales of goods bearing the Fairtrade logo in the UK increased by 40% to more than �195m from 2004 to 2005. according to the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation.

In 2005, Fairtrade labelled sales totalled about �752m worldwide.

In addition to fairer prices, it promotes environmentally-friendly farming practices.