Fairtrade Towns Takes Off

The Fairtrade phenomenon is mushrooming across the country: another seven towns and cities achieved ‘Fairtrade Town’ status during Fairtrade Fortnight 2003, bringing the total to 17.  Bolton, Croydon, Derby, Frome, Kendal, Newcastle, Nottingham are the latest to meet the criteria, set by the Fairtrade Foundation, that require a substantial commitment to the promotion and uptake of Fairtrade foods.

The concept was launched in May 2000, when Garstang in Lancashire declared itself ‘the world’s first Fairtrade Town’. The campaign caught the imagination of local people and interest spread across the country. Garstang’s initiative saw 15 traders – including supermarkets, garages and hairdressers – selling Fairtrade foods and 90 of the town’s 100 business premises and 65% of the population, buying Fairtrade foods regularly. A 2001 survey found that 70% of Garstang residents recognised the FAIRTRADE Mark, compared to the national average of 20% at the time (now 27%).

Following this lead, the Fairtrade Foundation launched the Fairtrade Town Goals and Action Guide for campaigners who want to take up the challenge to turn their own area into a Fairtrade Town, City or Zone. Now around 80 more towns are working towards the criteria, including London, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

Speaking at the launch of the GLA Initiative to make London a Fairtrade City, Raymond Kimaro, manager of KNCU coffee cooperative in Tanzania, says "I am so pleased to hear about this initiative. Producers are really looking towards consumers to help them out. By buying Fairtrade coffee and other products consumers are doing a great job for producers. I wish it every success."

For more information, contact The Fairtrade Foundation Press Office on 020 7405 5942 or mobile 07770 957 451 – or see www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Notes to Editors

• Fairtrade Fortnight is the Fairtrade Foundation’s annual publicity campaign. Fairtrade Fortnight 2003, runs from 3 to 16 March and will see 4,000 events nationwide to encourage people to try fairtrade foods.
• The first ten Fairtrade Towns were Aberfeldy, Ammanford, Chester, Garstang, Haworth, Leicester, Nailsworth, Strathaven, Stroud, Wells
• To achieve Fairtrade Town status, the following five criteria have to be met and continuous progress has to be made:
• The local council must pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices and canteens.
• A range of Fairtrade products must be readily available in the area’s shops and served in local cafés and catering establishments (targets are set related to population)
• Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local work places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community organisations (churches, schools etc)
• The council must attract popular support for the campaign.
• A local Fairtrade steering group must be convened to ensure continued commitment to Fairtrade Town status.
• Fairtrade is a trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trade by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalised farmers and workers in the developing world. Inspection and audit ensures the producers meet the Fairtrade standards of a democratic and participative structure where the Fairtrade premiums are used to improve living conditions or the working infrastructure.
• More than 100 retail products now carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, including coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, snacks and biscuits, sugar, honey, fruit juice and fresh fruit. Fairtrade products are also offered by more than 25 nationwide catering suppliers.
• The British public drinks 1.7 million cups of Fairtrade tea, coffee and cocoa each day and eats 1.5 million Fairtrade bananas a week. Sales of Fairtrade foods have more than doubled over the past three years and Fairtrade brands now account for 14% of the total UK roast and ground coffee market. In 2002 the retail value of Fairtrade food sales in the UK reached £62.6 million.
• The Fairtrade Foundation certifies and promotes Fairtrade. It was set up in the early 1990s by agencies including Cafod, Christian Aid, Oxfam and the World Development Movement to respond to the human consequences of collapsing world commodity prices. The first FAIRTRADE Marked product, Green and Black’s Maya Gold chocolate, appeared on the supermarket shelf in 1994; Cafedirect coffee followed soon after.