Fairtrade Town

Fairtrade-Whitchurch-sticker

Fairtrade Fortnight takes place at the end of February & into March.

Whitchurch Fairtrade Town Group seeks to promote Fairtrade in Whitchurch.

The Shropshire Fairtrade Coalition is a group of individuals, organisations and businesses from around Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin whose aim is to help promote Fairtrade. After a two year campaign Shropshire, including Telford & Wrekin, gained Fairtrade County status from the Fairtrade Foundation in 2007.  Shropshire’s Fairtrade County status is reviewed every two years.

The Fairtrade Coalition work with towns to help them gain Fairtrade status and with businesses and organisations who want to offer and support Fairtrade products.

What Whitchurch Fairtrade Town Group do:

Whitchurch gained Fairtrade status in 2010 and a group was set up to coordinate events and raise awareness of the Fairtrade Foundation’s message.  The Group organises events and the circulation of Fairtrade information during Fairtrade Fortnight, an annual event to raise awareness and promote Fairtrade.  We have also produced a sticker (see the picture) that businesses who sell Fairtrade products can display in their shop windows, so look out for these as you travel around the town.

As well as the widely available Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar and chocolate products, did you know that you can also buy Fairtrade flowers, toys and gifts in Whitchurch?  Whitchurch Fairtrade Town group promote these items and the businesses selling them at events throughout the year – look out for the stall as you come to events.  The Group also runs Fairtrade cafés during Library events, at Whitchurch Party in the Park and Blackberry Fair.  If you would like the Group to run a Fairtrade Café at an event please contact us via this website.

Visit the Shropshire Fairtrade website

What is Fairtrade?

As the name suggests, Fairtrade is about making trade fair for everyone, but especially the farmers and workers in the developing world. The Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International defines Fairtrade as:

  • a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalised producers and workers – especially in the South.

Fairtrade organisations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fairtrade’s strategic intent is:

  • deliberately to work with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency
  • to empower producers and workers as stakeholders in their own organisations
  • to actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.

A minimum price is paid for the goods (one that covers the cost of sustainable production) and an extra premium is paid, (one that is invested in social or economic development projects).

Key benefits from Fairtrade often include:

  • A regular income from the crops for the producers
  • Better wages and working conditions for the workers
  • Improvements to water supplies and sanitisation facilities
  • New housing and schooling
  • Improved healthcare
  • Increased self-esteem for all concerned

The Fairtrade mark is an independent consumer label (licensed by The Fairtrade Foundation) that appears on approved products and acts as a guarantee that the producers are getting a better deal. For a product to be allowed to display the Fairtrade mark, it must be a set of standards which are set by the international certification body, the FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International).

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