This March, the University is hosting events to mark Fair Trade Fortnight, two weeks of events held around the UK to raise money and awareness about issues surrounding fair trade.

Held from 28 February to the 13 March, Fair Trade Fortnight culminates with the Education Fair Trade Summit, in which representatives from universities, colleges and schools from around the West of Scotland will meet at Glasgow to discuss and learn about fair trade in Scotland.

Fair trade is one way to help move people out of dire poverty. Developing world producers can work in cooperatives, set fair and just wages, determine safe conditions of work, produce high quality foods and goods, market and sell products in our shops and supermarkets.

The idea is to develop long-term relationships with contracts that endure even when world markets dip and dive, keeping factories open and maintained, and permitting producers to get an income from alternative activities.

The price we pay starts with the wages that people need to earn and the cost of providing safe and nurturing work environments - and in some case FT products might be more expensive, but more often than not they are competitively priced.

Fair trade pays a community premium to cooperatives over and above the wages people earn for health and education of the local village or town.

Dr Phil Cotton is the convener of the University’s fair trade steering group, and has headed the drive to bring this summit to the University.

He said: “Fair trade is one articulation of our values as an institution.  It goes beyond tea, coffee and chocolate. There are thousands of fairly traded products and foodstuffs. There are fairly traded cotton uniforms for staff, and sweat shirts for clubs and organisations, fairly traded wines for entertaining, and fairly traded gifts that can be branded with an organisation's own logo. I’m proud that we as a university have agreed to hold this landmark summit.”

Background to Fairtrade

The concept of Fairtrade dates back for over forty years, but the first Fairtrade label was launched in Holland in 1988. Called “Max Havelaar”, the label was named after a fictional Dutch character who opposed the exploitation of coffee pickers in Dutch colonies.

After the success of Max Havelaar, the company was replicated in other countries throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s. In Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and France the company retained the name Max Havelaar. In the US, Canada, Germany, Austria and Japan it was known as Transfair, and in the UK and Ireland the Fairtrade Mark, but recently the Fairtrade Certification Mark has become the new international label, and all but three countries have adopted this.

In the UK, as Fairtrade became better known, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992 by Christian Aid, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement (CAFOD), and later the organisation was joined by the Women’s Institute; since then the Fairtrade Foundation has flourished.

Fairtrade’s mission is to “to connect disadvantaged producers and consumers, promote fairer trading conditions and empower producers to combat poverty, strengthen their position in world markets and take more control over their lives.”

The first annual Fairtrade Fortnight was held in 1995, to promote Fairtrade and commemorate the achievements of the Fairtrade Mark. Originating in Scotland, the Fairtrade Fortnight has had such success that it is now celebrated in many countries including Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Fairtrade has grown so much that between 2001 and 2009, the retail value of annual Fairtrade sales has rocketed from £30m to £799m. In 2004, Fairtrade won the award for Charity of the Year and in 2007 The Fairtrade Foundation was awarded The Directory of Social Change’s ‘Social Change Award’ in the category of Influencer.

Unfair trade rules deny poor countries nearly £440m a year, but globally, consumers worldwide spent £1.6bn on Fairtrade certified products in 2007 alone, directly benefiting over 7 million people in 58 developing countries.

You can read or download the flyer for the fair Fairtrade Summit here.

First published: 14 February 2011

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