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I am one of Kitty's constituents and I
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You’ve come to the right place for all the info on Fairtrade in Burnley. Here you will find information on the Fairtrade Mark, Burnley’s Fairtrade campaign and details of Fairtrade events being held in Burnley.
Fairtrade is a labelling and certification system that ensures that the products being traded are traded ethically. When you buy any product with the Fairtrade mark on you know that the farmer who grew it is earning enough for the basics of life – food, shelter, healthcare and education for their children.
There is a large range of Fairtrade certified products available including such things as coffee, tea, nuts, dried fruit and juices, herbs and spices. Details of these are available from www.fairtrade.org.uk
Burnley’s Fairtrade campaign is a campaign to increase awareness and availability of Fairtrade products within Burnley. The campaign is run by Burnley and Padiham’s Fairtrade Steering Group in conjunction with Burnley Borough Council.
Why should we buy Fairtrade products?
What is a Fairtrade Town?
Who is involved Burnley’s Fairtrade Campaign?
Fairtrade Establishments in Burnley
How do I become a Fairtrade shop or café?
How can an employer, business, school, faith group or community organisation support the campaign?
How can I get involved as an individual?
Fairtrade Fortnight
Fairtrade Events
Why should we buy Fairtrade products?
Using Fairtrade certified products is a way in which socially responsible individuals can have an impact on global poverty. Unfair trading rules, poor working conditions and low wages are all alleviated by choosing Fairtrade products; by doing so we allow producers to build their own sustainable future. There is also a vast range of delicious Fairtrade food and beverages and attractive clothes now available!
What is a Fairtrade Town?
A Fairtrade Town is a community that supports fair trade and social responsibility. In order to be officially classified as a Fairtrade Town by the Fairtrade Foundation a town must meet certain criteria. These are:
The local council must pass a resolution to support Fairtrade.
A Fairtrade Steering group must be convened to continue the Towns commitment to Fairtrade.
A number of local retail and catering outlets must sell at least 2 Fairtrade products.
A number of employers and community organisations, including schools and faith organisations must use Fairtrade products.
Generate positive popular support and press coverage
Why should Burnley become a Fairtrade Town?
Situated in the heart of beautiful countryside, Burnley has a growing leisure and retail sector, which the people of Burnley and tourists alike benefit from. However, there is continual need to improve on the services available in order to attract new and repeat visitors to the town.
Having and promoting the availability of a high quality well know brand such as the Fairtrade mark throughout the town and wider area will attract people looking to buy high quality ethical goods to the town and also encourage others to buy these goods. This in turn helps to make businesses stronger, as people spend more money locally.
It demonstrates that Burnley, its community, Council, and businesses take social responsibility seriously. This is very important in a time when a Town’s ethical reputation market can be a factor in economic growth, attracting new businesses and funding and new people.
But IMPORTANTLY by becoming a Fairtrade Town and encouraging more people to buy Fairtrade products, Burnley will be helping farmers receive enough money to live and feed themselves and their families, and to work themselves out of poverty!
Who is involved Burnley’s Fairtrade Campaign?
Burnley’s Fairtrade campaign is run by Burnley and Padiham’s Fairtrade Steering Group. The group is made up of representatives from different employers, schools, Burnley’s MP, cafes, shops, faith groups, and Burnley Borough Council.
This group works hard to increase awareness and availability of Fairtrade products in Burnley through different campaign initiatives such as organising events, writing letters, or speaking to people in Burnley.
Many establishments have signed up to Fairtrade and are supporting the campaign by using Fairtrade products.
Click on the links below to see details of these:
Shops
Cafes
Educational Establishments
Employers
Faith Groups
Community Groups
How can an employer, business, school, faith group or community organisation support the campaign?
The Fairtrade Foundation states that a number of community organisations have to use Fairtrade products in order to be classed a Fairtrade Town.
This can be done in a variety of ways depending on the structure of your establishment, for instance employers can use Fairtrade tea and coffee at their meetings and in their vending machine. Schools can use tea and coffee in the staff room, or fruit and confectionary in tuck shops or breakfast clubs.
Of course, there are many other ways organisation can support Fairtrade for instance through holding events or producing publicity but the minimum requirement is that you use Fairtrade products.
There is a wealth of resources available for different organisations to use to promote Fairtrade, and where Fairtrade products can be purchased these can be found at www.fairtrade.org.uk or email ussherk@parliament.uk
Why should my shop or café get involved?
The demand and market for Fairtrade products is expanding rapidly with consumers increasingly demanding that the products they buy are responsibility traded. It therefore makes good sense to stock Fairtrade products for both ethical and business reasons. By doing this you would not only be meeting the demand for Fairtrade products but you would also be assisting Burnley in achieving the highly coveted Fairtrade Town Status.
Many of the retailers/catering outlets who have signed up to Fairtrade in Burnley have been keen to express that selling Fairtrade products does not affect profit margins because customers are willing to pay that little bit extra for Fairtrade products.
As Andrew Smalley from Rhode Island Coffee Bar states
“Fairtrade products are made by companies that care about other people and are therefore of a very high quality. Our customers come to us because of the high quality of our products and are more than willing to pay extra for that and for the knowledge that they are purchasing ethically sound products. Far from being reduced, our profit margins are increased by offering Fairtrade products”
How do I become a Fairtrade retail or catering outlet?
To be classed as a Fairtrade retail or catering outlet you have to sell at least 2 Fairtrade products such as tea, coffee or chocolate.
Fairtrade products can be identified by the Fairtrade mark and can be purchased from a variety of shops or wholesalers. Burnley’s own Cash and Carry – Bookers - supplies a range of Fairtrade Products.
For more information on where to buy Fairtrade products visit www.fairtrade.org.uk
If you would like to be included on Burnley’s Fairtrade list please email ussherk@parliament.uk
How to get involved?
The Fairtrade campaign is run by volunteers in conjunction with Burnley Borough Council. The campaign requires a lot of organisation and time, so anyone wishing to offer any support would be most gratefully welcomed. If you wish to volunteer please email ussherk@parliament.uk.
Fairtrade Fortnight
Every year there is 2 week Fairtrade campaign, aptly titled Fairtrade Fortnight, in which organisations up and down the country promote the Fairtrade Mark at a national and local level to increase awareness of Fairtrade!
For information on Burnley’s Fairtrade Fortnight Activities please click this link – Fairtrade Fortnight
If you are organising any Fairtrade events an would like to publicise them here then please email ussherk@parliament.uk
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Kitty is a regular contributor to parliamentary debates, asking questions of ministers on behalf of her constituents.
For more details of Kitty's parlimentary activities |
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In addition to her weekly column in Friday's Burnley Express, Kitty also writes for the Guardian on-line politics page as well as Tribune newspaper  |
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