South Gloucestershire Fair Trade Network

May 2005

£140 million spent on Fairtrade products (up 51% on 2003)

Over 800 products in shops, cafes and catering outlets

3 million Fairtrade hot drinks drunk every day

2 in 5 people recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark

Fairtrade Fortnight 2005 was once again a big success, both nationally and locally.

Oz Clarke was one of the celebrities who helped to publicise Fairtrade fortnight. The wine writer and broadcaster visited a coffee co-operative in Rwanda, and his experiences were covered on BBC TV’s Heaven and Earth Show, and 60 regional BBC radio stations.

Further coverage of this can be found on both the BBC website (in the religion section), and on the Fairtrade Foundation website.

On the national side of things, Manchester and Salford were jointly declared the 100th Fairtrade Town., and a little closer to home Bristol was also awarded with Fairtrade Town status.

Regina Joseph, a fairtrade banana grower from Dominica traveled around the UK during the fortnight, including a trip to Bristol. And the other producer toruiong the country was Tadesse Meskela, a coffe co-operative manager from Ethiopia.

Locally, there were plenty of

events and supermarket stands taking place, and a huige thank you goes to everyone that helped in any way to spread the word about fairtrade to the general public.

In all we had 14 supermarket stands, including 2 new stands, and March 4th must have rated as the busiest day with 6 stands taking place!

As well as the supermarket stands, there were several other events during the fortnight ranging from coffee mornings, to a fashion show to a chocolate evening. So, something for everyone, and many opportunities to let more people know, and taste, just how good fairtrade products are, for the consumer and the producer.

Banana Campaign

This is a campaign organized by the Fairtrade foundation to highlight the problems that Windward Island banana farmers will face as a consequence of the proposed changes to the EU rules.

Multinational companies have successfully claimed that quotas and tariffs protecting their access to EU markets are unfair – they want free trade. But free trade is not necessarily fair and the fear is that tens of

thousands of small family farmers in the Windward Islands will not be able to compete on price and will be forced out of business.

Postcards are available to send to Peter Mandelson (EU Commissioner for External Trade), urging him to support the Windward Island farmers, and these can be obtained from the Fairtrade Foundation (although I have enclosed one with each mailing, to get you

As of April 2005, Peter Mandelson had received 2,000 of these postcards, so now is your chance to keep the pressure on and make your voice heard on behalf of farmers like Regina Joseph (who visited Bristol this year for Fairtrade Fortnight), and Denise Sutherland (who visited Thornbury and Bristol in 2003 for Fairtrade Fortnight

Product Updates: Cotton

For several years, the Fairtrade network has been working on getting the FAIRTRADE Mark put on cotton products and clothing. The initial focus is on ensuring the cotton farmers get a better deal and a fair price (something that is more likely now that the US cotton subsidies have been declared illegal). International Fairtrade standards for cotton lint have now been agreed, and a number of producer

organizations in West Africa and India are now being certified. Meanwhile, the Fairtrade Foundation is working with a number of companies interested in Fairtrade cotton, both mainstream and specialist fairtrade, and we should see the arrival of the first few independently certified products ‘made with Fairtrade cotton ’ appearing towards the end of this year - in particular

t-shirts and cotton wool. Whilst the Fairtrade guarantee refers explicitly to the producers of raw cotton, the system will ensure that the whole supply chain is as transparent as possible.

Keep watching for more news!

(reproduced from Fairtrade Foundation)

New Fairtrade Products

The Fair Deal Trading Partnership now has 10 lines of fairtrade sports balls carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark including Team / Premier / Pro Footballs, Volleyballs, Rugby Balls and Basketballs.

For more information contact Fair Deal Trading Partnership: 0870 766 5196
www.fairdealtrading.com

Also, on the shelves:

Fairtrade apple juice from Gerber, available from the Co-op.

9 Asda own-brand Fairtrade products including tea, hot chocolate, honey and grapes (all launched in Fairtrade Fortnight this year)

Fairtrade dried fruit: although this has been available through Traidcraft for a long time, it has only recently become a product category, allowing raisins and sultanas to bear the FAIRTRADE Mark.

So hopefully we will soon see more companies selling raisins and sultanas bearing the FAIRTRADE Mark., or an increase in products that include these items.