NORTH & SOUTH UNITE TO PROMOTE FAIRTRADE
THE CITY OF LONDON & SUNDERLAND ANNOUNCED AS JOINT 300TH FAIRTRADE TOWN
The City of London, and Sunderland in the North East of England, are bringing north and south together in more ways than one as their shared position as the UK’s 300th Fairtrade Town is announced by the Fairtrade Foundation on Monday, 22 October.
The two cities are the latest communities to join the rapidly expanding network of Fairtrade Towns across the UK, campaigning for a better deal for producers in the developing world by promoting and supporting Fairtrade products.
Bruce Crowther, the Fairtrade Foundation’s Towns Co-ordinator says: “This joint achievement highlights the wide range of communities that are making a collective commitment to Fairtrade. From London’s Square Mile to Sunderland, the UK public is coming together to change the lives of farmers and workers in the developing world. More and more people are using their collective spending power to challenge the unfair trade balance between north and south.”
The City of London’s bid for Fairtrade status has focused on its position as a business hub, with many of the major workplaces in the Square Mile including The Gherkin, Barbican Centre, Linklaters, Lloyds of London, Barings, UBS, the Bank of England, becoming a part of the City of London Fairtrade Zone and using Fairtrade products. Working with Matrix Knowledge Group, the steering group has also set up a web portal and questionnaire through which businesses in the area can pledge their commitment to Fairtrade. KPMG hosted the first Business Breakfast in September for FTSE 100 business leaders to help put Fairtrade on their agendas. The rest of the community has also engaged with Fairtrade, with four out of the six schools in the vicinity using Fairtrade as part of their catering contract. Eleven churches have switched to using Fairtrade, including the café at St Paul’s Cathedral.
George R Bush, City of London Steering Group Chair, said: “We are delighted that the City of London Campaign has achieved Fairtrade status for the Square Mile and we hope that this will encourage even more retailers and caterers to adopt Fairtrade into their business and to become part of the City of London Fairtrade Zone. We congratulate all the shops, cafes and business who have already made this commitment and their support for farmers and workers in the developing world”.
The Sunderland application has focused on developing a campaign through the Local Strategic Partnership, bringing together public sector and community organizations. They have made Fairtrade a key part of their planning, ensuring that it feeds into every level of the local community. Both the University of Sunderland and City of Sunderland College have achieved Fairtrade University status and Sunderland Youth Parliament has made the switch to using Fairtrade products. City Hospital Sunderland NHS Trust and many other organizations across the community all use Fairtrade products in meetings and in their canteens.
Peter Chapman, Assistant Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, said of the campaign: “Developing the Fairtrade campaign symbolized how we in Sunderland can build effective links in a global world, and how both Fairtrade producers and businesses here in our community can benefit from the experience. The campaign has provided us with the opportunity to develop our own community networks as well, talking to people who had never been involved in community activity before. We were amazed at how involved local people, particularly young people, have wanted to become once they have understood the benefits of Fairtrade. It has been hard work, but worth it!”
The cities’ applications were awarded simultaneously by the Fairtrade Foundation, after both communities brought together businesses, community organizations, schools and faith groups to meet the criteria for Fairtrade status. In order to be recognized as a Fairtrade Town, the cities had to make a substantial commitment to the promotion and use of Fairtrade products, both at local authority level and in shops, businesses and community centres.