A big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who took part and supported this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight activities and the wider Sustainability Month. This year’s theme was ‘Take A Step’ for Fairtrade to get people to think further than simply buying Fairtrade Products. Millions of farmers in developing countries are trapped in poverty because they don’t receive a fair price for their goods. They are trapped by global trade rules and are powerless at the bottom of a long supply chain. By buying Fairtrade you are supporting these farmers by helping them to lift themselves out of poverty and giving them a global voice.
Buying Fairtrade means the farmers are receiving enough money to cover the costs of production by receiving a fair market price, and also a Fairtrade Premium which they are able to invest back into their local community. This premium has seen schools, medical centres set up in remote areas, helped create safer working conditions and helped set up sustainable production methods.
You can help these farmers in small or large steps. You could simply swop one of your everyday shopping items to Fairtrade such as Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar, bananas, flowers, olive oil, or you could go big and set up your own Fairtrade group in your department, town or local community.
This year the Fairtrade Foundation will be presenting a petition to David Cameron to go further and champion a better deal for the world’s smallholder farmers at this year’s G8 meeting. Take a step today and make your own mini marcher at http://step.fairtrade.org.uk/.
We would like to thank
– Student Life for holding a Fairtrade Tombola at Maxwell and Allerton buildings. Over £60 has been raised for the Fairtrade Foundation charity.
– Aramark for organising Cadbury’s and Peros to visit our refectories and hand out Fairtrade goodies.
– Traid and Stitched Up for running our Sew Good Workshops and bring loads of fabric and exciting stuff.
– The Students Union for incorporating Fairtrade Questions into the pub quiz and having excellent Fairtrade promotion in Horlock shop.
For more information on what the University is doing on Fairtrade visit http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/Fairtrade.