Fairtrade

1. Fairtrade • Define • Fairtrade around the world • Some impacts of unfair / fair trade • Fairtrade in the UK • Fairtrade in Wigan Borough • Fairtrade in Wigan Council • Fairtrade and the Cultural Exchange Group

2. The Fairtrade Mark

3. Fairtrade around the world • 1m members and workers in 540 Small Producer Organisations and 206 Hired Labour Organisations around the world • Over 7m people directly benefit from £1.6bn annual global spend on Fairtrade certified products • Total Fairtrade “Premium” benefit (2007): 32 million Euros • 50% re-invested in Fairtrade businesses • 26% invested in health, education or environment • 24% invested in local community projects • Wide geographical distribution of producers: 58 developing countries • One olive producer from Palestinian Occupied Territories • Coffee is the no. 1 product (400,000 farmers), then tea, cocoa, cotton

4. Fairtrade around the world

5. Some impacts of unfair trade • Domination of markets by trans-national companies due to unfair trade rules • Drive to cut prices overrides environmental, social and health concerns • Poor market access for independent producers > fail to cover production costs • Many farmers forced off land > into cities (often slums) > urbanisation / overcrowding • Some farmers switch to drug-growing to support themselves > crime / violence • Communities lose control of their own lives and environment > destabilisation • Overuse of chemical pesticides damages human health and wider environment • 20% of male banana workers in Costa Rica are sterile • Twice average rates of leukemia and birth defects in women banana packers • “Sweatshop”, $-a-day working conditions common, including for children • Dissent or trade union activity often violently suppressed (killings in Columbia)  • Low quality, cheap goods

6. Some impacts of Fairtrade • Fair prices, steady wages > job security and control of own lives and communities • Decent working conditions and improved health and safety • Participation in life / accident insurance schemes and personal investment loans • Participation in democratic structures > social stability • Greater respect for and amongst people, including women and children • Less harm to environment and active investment in environmental improvements • Investment in social improvements (boreholes, schools, health clinics, roads) • Stewardship, rather than abandonment, of land • Less use of chemicals • Fewer drugs grown • Less potential destabilisation and conflict  • High quality stakeholder-produced goods

7. Fairtrade in the UK • Estimated UK retail sales of Fairtrade certified products were £23m in 1999, £800m in 2009 • 70% of population recognise the Fairtrade Mark and 64% link the Mark to a better deal for producers in the developing world • The Fairtrade Foundation licences use of the Fairtrade Mark on products in the UK, in accordance with international standards set by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) • Key Fairtrade Foundation awareness-raising programmes: Fairtrade Fortnight (annually); Fairtrade Towns; Fairtrade Schools • www.fairtrade.org.uk • The Greater Manchester Fairtrade Group shares Fairtrade information from the 10 districts - Bolton leads and has a thriving Fairtrade campaign

8. Fairtrade in Wigan Borough • Wigan Co-operative Members’ Fairtrade Group • Wigan Fairtrade Directory • Wigan Fairtrade website • Fairtrade Fortnight events • Tastings, talks… • Promotion of “Fairtrade Schools” • “Fairtrade Town” auditing and reporting role • www.wiganfairtrade.org.uk

9. Fairtrade in Wigan Council • Council Resolution • Nominated support officer for local group • Corporate Procurement Strategy • Council meetings, offices and canteens • Internal promotion / awareness-raising • Departmental Fairtrade audits • Reporting back to local Fairtrade group • www.wigan.gov.uk/Services/Environment/ SustainableDevelopment/FairtradeinWigan.htm

10. Can the Cultural Exchange Group help the Wigan Fairtrade Group to achieve its aims? • To promote the concept of Fairtrade within the Borough • To raise awareness of the Fairtrade Mark and provide guidance on buying Fairtrade goods locally • To achieve and maintain Fairtrade Town status for the Borough

11. Can the Fairtrade agenda help the Cultural Exchange Group to achieve its aims? The Cultural Exchange Group will :- • consider strategic means of engaging the BME community • identify means of overcoming existing barriers to engagement • highlight indigenous culture as much as minority cultures • raise cultural awareness levels of public services • have a balance between strategy and delivery • developing a calendar of national, regional and local events that we could support and link in to • identify gaps in provision • identify high-level and meaningful targets to support the Cultural Exchange Group’s ambitions • identify and bid for funding to support the above aims • be linked to significant local strategic partnerships and report progress against agreed targets on an annual basis • support the achievements linked to the CAA and LAA process • The Cultural Exchange Group will be accountable to the following :- • Cultural Partnership • Building Stronger Communities Partnership • SHAPE Board • Hate Crime Group • Refugee and Migrant Workers Forum • Homeless and Vulnerable Team • BME umbrella group

12. Consider… • Buying (or even seeing) Fairtrade products links you directly to producers from many different cultures • Experiencing commonly known (or comparing different) foods, flowers, clothing, cosmetics, toys, etc can help to promote cross-cultural understanding • Food in particular can be one of the very best ways “in” to understanding a given country / culture • Sharing food and drink is an age-old way of bringing people together • Understanding Fairtrade issues can help to raise awareness about wider international issues • Fairtrade celebrates self-respect, self-reliance and independence • Borough’s own producers / farmers / allotment holders / gardeners? • Links to Healthy Eating agenda ?