Fairtrade in Hammersmith and Fulham
Fair prices help tens of thousands of small farmers in poor countries buy food and medicines for their families and send their children to school. The producers are guaranteed a fair and stable price. This is very important when world prices can drop below the cost of production.
Brands with the Fairtrade Mark are your guarantee of a fair deal for the producer because they are grown on estates with decent wages, and trade unions health, safety and environmental standards, a social premium for the local community.
What is the council doing?
The council supports fair trade and uses FAIRTRADE Mark brands of tea and coffee at its meetings and events. We achieved FAIRTRADE Borough status in 2005 which demonstrates our commitment. For more information on the Foundation awards and the FAIRTRADE Mark visit www.fairtrade.org.uk (opens new window).
What you can do
We encourage local residents, businesses, schools and community groups to support fair trade too. It is very easy to do. You can do this by buying Fairtrade Mark brands, and encouraging others to do so.
Buy Fairtrade Mark goods
To help you the steering group has produced a list of shops and cafes where you can buy or consume food and drink made with these brands.
» Download a list of outlets where you can buy Fairtrade Mark brands (pdf 115KB).
This list is not exhaustive and help is required in keeping it up-to-date. There will now be many corner shops selling at least two Fairtrade products owing to the popular brands, such as Tate & Lyle sugars, Cadbury's Dairy Milk and Nestles four-finger KitKat going Fairtrade and, by the end of 2011, the whole of Green & Black's organic chocolate bar and beverage range. Please email maryfairtrade@yahoo.co.uk with details of name of shop/store, address, tel. no. and products sold.
Support the Fairtrade campaign
We would be very pleased to receive support. You could encourage your local shop office or school to serve FAIRTRADE Mark brands if they don't already. Hammersmith & Fulham's Fairtrade status was renewed in June 2008.
Fairtrade schools
Melcombe Primary School, which will shortly be applying for Fairtrade School status, won the Presentation Skills Award at the 2009 Children's Parliament for their presentation on Fairtrade Schools. The five goals to qualify as a Fairtrade School are:
1. Our school has set up a Fairtrade steering group.
2. Our school has written and adopted a whole-school
Fairtrade policy.
3. Our school is committed to selling, promoting and
using Fairtrade products.
4. Our whole school learns about Fairtrade issues.
5. Our school promotes and takes action for Fairtrade both in school and the wider community.
Schools should email schools@fairtrade.org.uk and ask for a registration form and go to www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools (opens new window) for information and ideas on how to proceed. The USC can also give advice - email info@hfusc.org.uk.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 (22 February - 7 March)
This year's theme of 'The Big Swap' encourages people to change their shopping habits by swapping their usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. Register your swap at www.thebigswap.org.uk
The focus is particularly on tea because only 10% of tea sold is Fairtrade: the UK's top five brands account for 72% of the UK tea market and directly affect the lives of over 1 million tea workers worldwide. (Join Traidcraft's and the Women's Institute's campaign by visiting www.makeitfair.org.uk)
It should be noted that membership of the Ethical Tea Partnership (an industry initiative), and Rainforest Alliance (sustainable agriculture) certification do not offer producers a minimum price nor a social premium for community development, as guaranteed by the FAIRTRADE Mark.
There will be a Strictly Fairtrade Tea Dance in Spitalfields Market in the covered area between Leon and Wagamama on Saturday 27 February, 12 - 5pm, (map at www.spitalfields.co.uk/location.php).
In this borough, HammersmithLondon is joining the H&F Fairtrade steering group to run a tea tasting stall in Lyric Square, next to the Farmers' Market, on Thursdays 25 February and 4 March, 12 - 2pm. AMT are donating the tea and Pret a Manger white sugar. Information about where to buy/drink Fairtrade tea in central Hammersmith and copies of the 2010 edition of the London Fairtrade Guide will be available.
In addition, the usual sampling stalls at supermarkets will be held on Saturday 20 February, 2-6pm, at Morrisons, West 12 Shopping Centre, and Saturday 6 March, 2-6pm, at Sainsbury's, Fulham Broadway Retail Centre.
Contacts
You can ring the steering group co-ordinator - Mary Corrall tel: 020 8748 7955 or email her at maryfairtrade@yahoo.co.uk.
The post of Council link officer is currently vacant, following the departure of Steve McAndrews from Environmental Services at the end of March 2009.
