Described at the time...as an “unusual partnership”, the relationship between Marks & Spencer and Shell Foundation was borne out of a shared goal – to build new supply chains to major retailers that simultaneously help to eradicate poverty and deliver commercial returns...By mid 2008, the Partnership’s focus on ethically-sourced fl owers from South Africa had led to...more than 135 sustainable jobs in poor South Africa communities and helping to protect more than 30,000 hectares of biodiversity-rich land. The decision by the partners to focus initially on cotton supply chains led...to M&S becoming the first major UK retailer to sell products from Fairtrade cotton – improving the livelihoods of several hundred Indian farmers.