Fairtrade to be highlighted in Moorlands with two-week event

FAIRTRADE fortnight is to be highlighted in Leek – despite lockdown.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s annual United Kingdom Fairtrade Fortnight started on Monday and will run until March 7.

For the first time, the Leek Fairtrade Group have not been able to arrange a public launch of the event because of the Covid-19 restrictions.

With schools closed, the group’s fifth annual Mary Bates’ trophy Fairtrade schools’ competition has had to be cancelled.

Chairman of the group, Councillor Susan Coleman, said: “Despite the restrictions we were determined to organise a public highlight for the Fortnight.

“After all, Fairtrade is far too important for millions of families in developing countries for us not to do all we can to encourage our local community to support Fairtrade by buying products with the Fairtrade Mark.”

The group contacted the managers of the six supermarkets in Leek, asking them to consider arranging a special highlighting of the Fairtrade products they stock.

Morrison’s employee Community Champion Sarah Gould was able to make the decision to have a display of the store’s Fairtrade products along with publicity material displayed prominently near the store’s entrance.

Councillor Coleman said: “International trade rules favour rich countries and large multinational companies over poor countries and small-scale producers.

“Buying Fairtrade means the farmers get a better deal in return for their hard work.

“Fairtrade is already helping millions of farmers around the world to earn a decent wage, preserve their environment, drink clean water and send their children to school.”

Awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation, the Fairtrade Mark on a product guarantees that the producers enjoy decent wages, minimum health and safety standards, a fair minimum price and a social premium for the community, a long-term trading relationship, a commitment to better environmental standards and working towards sustainable production, and a right for workers to join a trade union.

In 2014, Taysir Arbashi, director of the Palestine Fairtrade Association was the group’s guest who explained the challenges they face, to an attentive packed hall of school children at Churnet View Middle School and later in the evening at the Foxlowe.