17 Oct October 2019: Celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade products in the UK.
October is the month in 1994 when the FAIRTRADE Mark was launched in the U.K. This year we are proud to be celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade products in the UK.
On September 21st, the North Fairtrade Supporters Conference was held in Middlesbrough. Adam Gardner, the Acting Head of Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation, spoke about the way Fairtrade is evolving; in particular the introduction of the Fairtrade Sourcing Initiative and the moves being made by Cadbury, Nestle and Sainsbury to introduce their own fair trade systems. These initiatives vary in the benefits they offer to producers: some are much more valuable than others. Cadbury in particular has worked closely with the Fairtrade Foundation to establish Cocoa Life.
It is important to bear in mind – and I am sure you have not forgotten! -that Fairtrade is the mark that guarantees farmers a fair and stable price; an extra amount through the premium to spend on community developmentanda respect for the environment. Fairtrade standards apply to producer organisations rather than to individual farms, and require that such organisations are democratically run and accountable to their members.
Moreover, as I wrote when reporting on our AGM in June, Fairtrade has also developed a climate change strategy aiming to support farmers as they adapt to climate change challenges and work to mitigate their impacts. Adam Gardner assured us that more information about these projects will be made available on the Foundation website.
Keswick Campaign has plans for the rest of the year: –
On November 23rd we will have a presence at an event organised by the Co-op at Rheged.
On December 1st we will have a stall at the Victorian Fayre in Keswick