Statement On George Alagiah as Patron of the Fairtrade Foundation
Statement On George Alagiah as Patron of the Fairtrade Foundation
It is with great sadness that, following a decision by the BBC, we can confirm George Alagiah’s resignation from his role as the official Patron of the Fairtrade Foundation.
We feel truly privileged to have worked with George for the past seven years, and could not have asked for a better Patron during this time. George’s long history of commitment to Africa and to development, his in-depth knowledge and commitment to justice for the poor, meant that we have had the perfect ambassador for Fairtrade. His energy and unsurpassed communication skills have motivated thousands of people to engage with Fairtrade, from business leaders to local campaigners, Fairtrade farmers in the field to the children in our schools, from town council officers to many different faith networks. We know how he has inspired and been inspired in turn by the thousands of Fairtrade supporters, young and old, up and down this country, for whom he holds the deepest respect and unstinting admiration.
The Fairtrade Foundation is extremely disappointed by the BBC’s decision. The BBC has always been a powerful champion of public awareness about global poverty and its causes. The rapid growth of support for Fairtrade in the UK, from businesses and retailers to individual shoppers, development NGOs and community groups, is testament to the nation’s commitment to play its part in tackling these issues. Fairtrade offers a unique approach to ensuring international trade delivers real benefits for developing country producers and a dynamic mechanism for members of the public to make a practical difference every day through their consumer choices. We welcome the platform it also offers for wider debate on international trade and corporate social responsibility issues.
In the time that George Alagiah has been our Patron, sales of products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark have grown tenfold, delivering real impact for thousands of farming communities in developing countries. We would like to thank George’s colleagues and peers at the BBC for their support which enabled him to perform this role over the past years. Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude for all that George has done for our Fairtrade family, and whilst he is no longer able to act as our official Patron, we know we will continue to enjoy his invaluable support.
Fairtrade Foundation welcomes the results of the Department for International Development (DFID) survey released today, showing people are increasingly recognizing they can use their shopping power as a way to help tackle poverty in the developing world. The Fairtrade Foundation believes the findings are a tribute to the thousands of campaigners who have tirelessly spread the Fairtrade message, encouraging others to make positive consumer choices to buy Fairtrade products.
“The rise in positive purchasing is a vindication of years of campaigning, including that of members of the voluntary organisations who set up the Fairtrade Foundation 15 years ago”, says Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. “Since the early days, DFID has identified Fairtrade as a useful contribution to development and funded awareness-raising and other projects on Fairtrade.”
According to independent research, the FAIRTRADE Mark is now the most recognised ethical label by a long way – a recent online shoppers survey, conducted by OC&C Strategy Consultants, showed that twice as many respondents recognised it compared to the next most visible, the Red Tractor . Sales of Fairtrade products are doubling every two years in the UK, giving hundreds of thousands of producers in developing countries the chance to compete in cut-throat global markets, and build a better future for themselves and their families.
The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only consumer label that focuses on ensuring farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as additional income to invest in community development programmes.