FAQs

Your existing supplier is always a good starting point – if they can’t offer Fairtrade products, you can find a full list of products, local catering suppliers, wholesalers and shops at www.fairtrade.org.uk . Look under ‘products’ or ‘suppliers’.

We understand that it isn’t always possible to switch to Fairtrade products immediately but we ask you for evidence to show that you have tried. There are some examples of how schools have got round this problem under ‘How some schools introduced Fairtrade products’ in Section 2C (in the Action Guide). Even if you can’t change your supply contract, you can still promote Fairtrade through your own events and personal purchasing.

If you would like someone to come into your school, contact one of the organisations that offers speakers or contact your local support group (Section 1D in the Action Guide). Many schools have successfully applied to become Fairtrade on their own, so you can do it too! Everything you need to know is contained in this guide. Use the PowerPoint presentation and movie clips on the Fairtrade School site for extra help. ( www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools ).

• it develops skills in research, ICT and public speaking
  
  
• the message is often more effective if the initiative comes from fellow pupils
  
  
• taking responsibility is good training for becoming active global citizens
  
  
• it provides more evidence for becoming a Fairtrade School.
  
  

Your local support network will be able to help with resources. We are trying to make sure that all resources on trade and Fairtrade are listed at www.globaldimension.org.uk . The organisations listed in Section 1D (in the Action Guide) can also provide resources and information. Many have downloadable materials on their websites.

We believe that any Fairtrade food product eaten in moderation can be part of a healthy and balanced diet. However, there are many healthy Fairtrade products such as juices, fresh or dried fruit and other snacks. Under the standards for school food in England and Wales there is plenty of scope for selling and using a range of Fairtrade products for seasonal events, fundraising events, Fairtrade Fortnight etc. (see http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/doc_item.asp?DocCatld=1 )

• parties or celebrations to mark cultural or religious occasions (e.g. Christmas, Diwali)
  
  
• fundraising events
  
  
• rewards for achievement, good behaviour or effort
  
  
• food used in teaching food preparation and cookery skills, provided the food is not served as part of a school lunch
  
  
• food brought in on an occasional basis by parents or pupils
  
  

A useful website for understanding the guidelines can be found at www.sustainweb.org . Click on ‘Projects & Campaigns’ then ‘Healthy Schools and Fair-Trade project’.

Don’t forget - Fairtrade isn’t just about food – sports balls and uniforms made with Fairtrade certified cotton are also available.

Yes. For example, you can use it as evidence of studying the Global Dimension as part of the Sustainable Schools scheme.

Yes, as long as you dedicate at least one meeting per term specifically to Fairtrade and keep copies of the minutes.

There are strict rules for using the FAIRTRADE Mark, as it is a registered trademark to indicate that a product is certified as meeting specific standards. It mustn’t be altered or incorporated into any other logo or design. If you want to use it to raise awareness of Fairtrade, you can use it with sentences like ‘Look for this Mark on Fairtrade products’ or ‘We choose Fairtrade products’.

If you become a Fairtrade school, you will receive the official ‘We are a Fairtrade School’ logo, which includes the FAIRTRADE Mark.

Instructions on how to use the FAIRTRADE Mark can be found at The FAIRTRADE Mark Go to ‘Manual for Promotional Materials’.

Great! Many schools have already been awarded Fairtrade School status as a result of work they’ve done with other organisations. These separate schemes have come together into one unified scheme but your Fairtrade status still stands! The only change is that when renewing your Fairtrade status after a year you’ll need to check what evidence you need to supply. If you are already a Fairtrade School let us know by emailing schools@fairtrade.org.uk . Look out for online renewals on the homepage .

Fairtrade isn’t in competition with UK farmers. Tropical products such as coffee, rice and bananas don’t grow in the temperate climates of Europe. Some products, such as apples, grapes or oranges are imported from the Southern hemisphere only when they are not in season here or because not enough are produced to meet the demand. However, it is up to each school to decide its own policy on these issues, balancing concern for both local and global farmers.

Buying Fairtrade products from developing countries not only provides a livelihood for millions of farmers, it also allows them to invest in projects that protect the environment and to diversify so they don’t have to rely on one single crop.

Most Fairtrade products are transported by ship. To keep them fresh, flowers are currently the only Fairtrade product to be routinely transported by air. Transportation of products is only one small element of the total carbon footprint of that product – think about how it is grown, packaged, distributed to shops within the UK, and the consumer journey to the store, or any waste disposal. Don’t forget too, that Fairtrade premiums can enable producers in developing countries to set up their own environmental projects, such as tree planting, recycling or conversion to organic p roduction.

A flower grown in Kenya and flown into the UK emits 5.8 times less carbon than one that has been industrially produced in a hot-house in the Netherlands. (Williams.A, 2007, Cranfield University)

School linking can be very rewarding when based on a spirit of partnership and learning about each other, but should be treated very carefully to avoid one-sided relationships. The Fairtrade Foundation does not arrange linking with a school in a developing country but there are other organisations that can help. Information can be found at www.globalgateway.org . (Partners in Learning). An excellent ‘Toolkit of Good Practice’ can be found at www.ukowla.org.uk/main/toolkit.asp with a section on schools linking.

We ask you to renew your status one year after getting your first certificate from the Fairtrade Foundation. After that, you will need to renew every second year until further notice. For renewal ideas please see Section 2F (in the Action Guide).

Although we welcome schools with sixth forms, there is a separate scheme for colleges and universities. See Faitrade Universities

Yes, each school’s special circumstances are taken into account. For example, if you are an Infants school or you are working with composite groups.