This article is written by Brian Mee, Hon Chair Watford Fairtrade Town Campaign...
Watford is a Fairtrade Town. There are over 600 Fairtrade Towns in UK. We achieved Fairtrade Town status in 2007 after completing all five of the goals for a Fairtrade Town set by the Fairtrade Foundation in London www.fairtrade.org.uk
Watford Borough Council has supported the Fairtrade Town Campaign since 2004. Refreshments at council meetings are Fairtrade certified. The council also supports events during Fairtrade Fortnight every year.
Residents are asked to look for the FAIRTRADE Mark (see above) on products when they buy from stores. There are over 6,000 Fairtrade products available to buy in the UK. Products with the Mark are guaranteed to pay the producer farmers in developing countries a fair, sustainable wage and the co-operative in which they work is guaranteed an extra Social Premium which must be spent on infrastructure and projects which help raise the community out of poverty.
These projects include building a safe clean water supply, building hospitals or clinics to offer basic health-care and recruit nurses or doctors. Building schools and houses for teachers is essential in remote areas. Building storage facilities for harvests so that better prices can be obtained when selling products out of season. Many other projects have been completed in Africa, Asia and the Pacific regions.
All producer co-operatives are audited by Fairtrade International every year www.fairtrade.net . If they fail the requirements they are given advice and help to improve their processes and help them to go organic and rejoin the Fairtrade system.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2024 has the theme of “Be the Change”:
Look for the Fairtrade Stand in St Mary’s on 8 September and in Atria on 14 Sept.
St Mary’s is a registered Fairtrade Church, the PCC has committed to using Fairtrade products and to support events at St Mary’s in Fairtrade Fortnight.
