29 Apr Further News of Fairtrade
White Stuff
You might not know that White Stuff on the corner of St. John’s Street in Keswick is selling a few Fairtrade cotton clothes.
On Tuesday 7th May at 7.00 pm, Mike Glover and Jo Alberti from the Keswick Fair Trade Campaign will be speaking at St. John’s Church, Keswick.
They will be aiming to tell the participants about changes which have taken place in recent years. All are welcome to come.
Although there are few people these days who do not recognise the Fairtrade logo and most people are aware of the core principles of Fairtrade, there have been changes which some will not be aware of and others may find confusing. The provision of a better price, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing work are still at the heart of Fairtrade. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade enables producers to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
Mike and Jo will explain that as the number and volume of Fairtrade products have grown, so there have been developments In the Fairtrade system aimed at increasing the number of farmers able to reach the Fairtrade market. There has been growth as a result – there are now more than 4,000 Fairtrade products available in the UK – and partly as a consequence of this growth other certifications have emerged where companies offer products that appeal to the buyer’s sense of fairness .
They will suggest Fairtrade is in itself to a degree responsible for this development, As Fairtrade has become increasingly well known, and its principles respected by consumers, so buyers have become much more aware of the power they have to make a difference to producers. Because of this growing awareness traders and retailers have been more careful about their purchasing practices: there has been a remarkable and heartening advance in ethical consumerism.
They will also place Fairtrade within the wider context of what is happening to world trade at present.