Information on Loughborough

Fairtrade in Loughborough

Posted on 22/02/2008
P. Klein

fairtrade farm products

TRIBUTES have been paid to Fairtrade supporters across in Loughborough and across Charnwood – on the eve of the area’s second 2nd anniversary birthday as a Fairtrade Borough.

The people of in the Borough of Charnwood were awarded Fairtrade Borough status in March 2006 by the Fairtrade Foundation, the UK charity which promotes Fairtrade through the FAIRTRADE Mark.

Fair trade promotes the payment of an equitable price as well as requiring social and environmental standards in the areas related to the growing or manufacture of a wide variety of goods. The group focuses particularly on the exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts and also agricultural products such as cotton, fresh fruit, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, wine and so on. However there has been some criticism of fair trade from groups that see it as a type of subsidy that has an impeding effect on growth.

To mark this anniversary Charnwood Borough Council and Charnwood Action For Fairtrade (CAFF) are encouraging even more shoppers in Charnwood to support Fairtrade by producing a Fairtrade Directory for the area. The directory lists all of the cafes, restaurants and shops that sell Fairtrade goods thereby ensuring that producers in the third world get a much better deal. [It might be worth while listing those places on inLoughborough].

Currently, shoppers in Loughborough can buy a selection from over 2000 different Fairtrade products lines across including tea, coffee, sugar, honey, bananas, mangoes, cocoa, fruit juice, chocolate, cake and wines which are available from a wide-range of stores throughout the Borough. Certain cafes such as ‘Wests’ in Market Street sell fairtrade products.

“Fairtrade has improved the lives of millions of people - farmers, workers and their families - in developing countries.” said Jenny Drury, Chair of CAFF.” But, we need to keep promoting

Fairtrade to ensure people know that buying Fairtrade products can make a positive difference. The new Fairtrade Directory for Charnwood is a great way of doing this. It ensures that shoppers know where they can buy Fairtrade products.”

“We all want to be able to improve the world in which we live be that here locally or further a field. Fairtrade is an excellent way for individuals to make the choice to support producers from all across the world and to guarantee that they get a better deal. “said Karl Letten, Sustainable Development Officer speaking from the Loughborough offices of Charnwood Borough Council.

CAFF played a key role in the Borough being awarded Fairtrade status and the group is staging a Fairtrade Market on Saturday, 8th March at Hall Orchard Primary School in Barrow upon Soar between 10am and 12pm, and will be selling a wide variety of Fairtrade goods including the UK’s first Fairtrade cola, Ubuntu.

It is being staged as part of Fairtrade Fortnight – which is encouraging people to Change Today, Choose Fairtrade in a bid to boost the lives of millions and farmers in developing countries.