Fairtrade
Fairtrade started
with the aim of ensuring that producers in developing countries
should get a fairer price when selling their goods in the world
markets. Fairtrade-branded products like coffee, bananas and
chocolate have dramatically increased their share of the market, but
they
are still a small part of overall international trade.
More than 4,500 products are now licensed to
carry the Fairtrade logo.
Consumers benefit from knowing that they are supporting small
producers especially in the Third World and producers benefit by
improving their bargaining position in world markets and achieving
higher prices for their goods.
In 2008 Wales became the first Fairtrade country in the world. Many
organisations including local councils and a few companies have
declared themselves to be committed to Fairtrade products.
Garstang is now a Fairtrade town but a search on the Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council
websites shows no
mention of Fairtrade. It seems that there are no Fairtrade suppliers in
Ormskirk or Skelmersdale (apart from an occasional token bar of
chocolate on supermarket shelves). The Fairtrade movement has clearly
not penetrated to West Lancashire.
The
Fairtrade
logo (see below) is now 15 years old.