North & South Unite to promote Fairtrade

The City of London known as the Square Mile, and Sunderland in the North East of England, are bringing north and south together in more ways than one as their shared position as the UK’s 300th Fairtrade Town is announced by the Fairtrade Foundation on Monday, 22 October.

The two cities are the latest communities to join the rapidly expanding network of Fairtrade Towns across the UK, campaigning for a better deal for producers in the developing world by promoting and supporting Fairtrade products.

The cities’ applications were awarded simultaneously by the Fairtrade Foundation, after both communities brought together businesses, community organizations, schools and faith groups to meet the criteria for Fairtrade status. In order to be recognized as a Fairtrade Town, the cities had to make a substantial commitment to the promotion and use of Fairtrade products, both at local authority level and in shops, businesses and community centres.

Bruce Crowther, the Fairtrade Foundation’s Towns Co-ordinator says: “This joint achievement highlights the wide range of communities that are making a collective commitment to Fairtrade. From London’s Square Mile to Sunderland, the UK public is coming together to change the lives of farmers and workers in the developing world. More and more people are using their collective spending power to challenge the unfair trade balance between north and south.”

The City of London’s bid for Fairtrade status has focused on its position as a business hub, with many of the major workplaces in the Square Mile including The Gherkin, Barbican Centre, Linklaters, Lloyd’s of London, Barings, UBS, and the Bank of England, all using Fairtrade products in the workplace. Working with Matrix Knowledge Group, the Fairtrade steering group is setting up a web portal and questionnaire through which businesses in the area can pledge their commitment to Fairtrade. In February this year Aviva (Norwich Union) hosted the City’s first Business Breakfast, raising awareness amongst over 50 companies. KPMG recently hosted a second event, targeting FTSE 100 business leaders to encourage them to engage with Fairtrade. The wider community has also shown their support for Fairtrade, with four out of the six schools in the vicinity using Fairtrade as part of their catering contract. Eleven churches have switched to using Fairtrade, including the café at St Paul’s Cathedral.

George R Bush, Chair of the City of London Steering Group, said: “We are delighted that the City of London Campaign has achieved Fairtrade status for the Square Mile and we hope that this will encourage even more retailers and caterers to adopt Fairtrade into their business and to become part of the City of London Fairtrade Zone. We congratulate all the shops, cafés and business who have already made this commitment to help farmers and workers in the developing world”.

Sunderland has focused on developing a campaign through the Local Strategic Partnership, bringing together the business sector, the public sector and community organizations. They have made Fairtrade a key part of their planning, ensuring that it feeds into every level of the local community. Both the University of Sunderland and the City of Sunderland College have achieved Fairtrade status and Sunderland Youth Parliament has made the switch to using Fairtrade products. City Hospital Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and many other organizations across the community all use Fairtrade products in meetings and in their canteens.

Councellor David Allen, Cabinet Member with Resources Porfolio, said of the campaign: “Developing the Fairtrade campaign symbolized how we in Sunderland can build effective links in a global world, and how both Fairtrade producers and businesses here in our community can benefit from the experience. The campaign has provided us with the opportunity to develop our own community networks as well, talking to people who had never been involved in community activity before. We were amazed at how involved local people, particularly young people, have wanted to become once they have understood the benefits of Fairtrade. It has been hard work, but worth it!”

More than 100 new Fairtrade Towns have been established in the last year, and a further 243 towns have registered to work towards achieving Fairtrade status. Alongside these, there has been rapid growth in the numbers of other Fairtrade campaigning networks in the UK. There are now 60 Fairtrade Universities reaching out to students, nearly 4,000 Fairtrade churches and 35 Fairtrade synagogues. The success of the Fairtrade Towns network has spread beyond the UK this year too, with the development of similar initiatives in 14 countries including Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, the USA and Australia.

As the theme for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 (25th February – 9th March) - Change Today. Choose Fairtrade - is also announced this month, Fairtrade Towns and other campaign groups have already begun to plan for the busiest time of the year for supporters of Fairtrade. More than 10,000 separate events were organized by local campaign groups during Fairtrade Fortnight 2007, including Fairtrade fashion shows and football matches, breakfasts and banquets, tea dances and supermarket tastings. Fairtrade Fortnight is the Fairtrade Foundation’s annual promotion of products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only independent consumer label that ensures farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as additional Fairtrade premium to invest in community projects such as education and healthcare. More than 3,000 products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark are now available in the UK, and sales topped £290 million in 2006. And with global sales hitting £1.16bn, the international Fairtrade market gives 7 million people – farmers, workers and their families - a chance to build a better future.

Ends

For more information about the City of London bid please contact Michelle Logie at michelle.logie@cityoflondon.gov.uk Tel: 020 7332 3450

For more information about the Sunderland bid please contact Geraldine Smith at geraldine.smith@sunderland.gov.uk Tel: 0191 553 1476

For more information about Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 (25 February – 9 March) please contact Martine Julseth at the Fairtrade Foundation at martine.julseth@fairtrade.org.uk; or call 020 7440 7695/07770 957 451

Note to Editors

1. Referred to collectively as Fairtrade Towns - cities, villages, islands, boroughs, counties and zones all achieve Fairtrade status by meeting five goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation: a local Fairtrade Steering Group needs to be set up to drive the campaign; the local council has to pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade and agree to serve Fairtrade products in its buildings; a range of Fairtrade products needs to be readily available in the area’s shops, restaurants and cafés; Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local employers and community organisations and media coverage and popular support has to be encouraged. To find out more about Fairtrade Towns see www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved_fairtrade_towns.htm

2. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 59 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system. To find out more visit www.fairtrade.org.uk

3. The full range of Fairtrade products now includes coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, apples, pears, grapes, plums, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, satsumas, clementines, lychees, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, fruit juices, quinoa, peppers, green beans, coconuts, dried fruit, rooibos tea, green tea, cakes & biscuits, honey, muesli, cereal bars, jams, chutney & sauces, herbs & spices, nuts & nut oil, wine, beer, rum, flowers, sports balls, rice, yoghurt, ice cream, babyfood, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homewear and cotton wool.