Fairtrade Yorkshire

Fairtrade Fortnight will return in 2019 from 25 February to 10 March.

It’s the most important time of the year for us all to celebrate Fairtrade achievements, whilst encouraging further commitments from the public, companies and governments to take action for fairer trade.

This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will focus on cocoa. Farmers of this iconic Fairtrade product have seen prices crash to crisis levels in the last few years, particularly in West Africa where most cocoa is grown. The situation highlights in stark terms the scandal of unfair trade. We have a choice about whether we take a stand against this.

Many farmers – both men and women – are underpaid and exploited. That means they can’t earn enough for the basics many of us take for granted, including food, education and housing, because they don’t earn a living income.

It’s even worse for the women who work in the fields and in the home. Despite the hard work they put in, they’re often overlooked and under-represented, and usually see even less of the money for their crop. They deserve more.

So the voices and stories of women farmers will also be at the heart of Fairtrade Fortnight. And we’re inviting some inspiring women farmers from Cote D’Ivoire – who truly understand what a living income means and represents – to come and help us spread the message.

Check out our events page for details of all the events happening in Yorkshire during Fairtrade Fortnight.

For more information on Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 click here.

Christmas can be a festival of consumerism but more and more of us are trying to shop ethically and give gifts with a heart. There are lots of fair trade shops in the region, as well as some of the UK’s biggest fair trade suppliers.

All’s Fair – A small business based near Selby selling fairly traded gifts and homewares online and at markets and events across Yorkshire

Black Yak – Working with knitters in Nepal for over 20 years they sell on markets around the region and are regulars on York market. They also supply some of the other fair trade shops.

Ethical Roots – Selling online and at events in the York area, Ethical Roots stocks a range of fairly traded gifts, clothing and accessories and homewares.

Fairer World – A York institution, Fairer World can be found at 84 Gillygate, York YO31 7EQ and sells a full range of Fairtrade food and drinks as well as fairly traded crafts from around the world

Fair Grounds – Winner of the Ethical Trade Award at Glastonbury, Fair Grounds sources their goods from a range of countries including Palestine, Uganda and Mexico. They sell at festivals, markets and online, as well as supplying a number of fair trade shops.

Fair Trader – Based at 32-34 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, HD9 2JS the shop stocks a wide range of Fairtrade food and drink, fairly traded crafts and gifts, toys and fashion accessories.

Good Taste – This fair trade shop in the Broomhills area of Sheffield opened in 2015 and stocks a wide range of Fairtrade food and drink as well as lots of fairly traded crafts and gifts from 25 different countries. 195 Whitham Road, Sheffield S10 2SN

Harrogate Fair Trade Shop – Packed into the porch of St Peter’s Church, Harrogate HG1 1RW this is a little gem of a shop. They have now opened a dedicated Christmas area with fair trade Christmas decorations as well as a great range of Fairtrade food and drink and fairly traded gift ideas.

Namaste UK – Based in Skipton this is one of the biggest fair trade suppliers in the UK. Dealing direct with producers in India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and more they supply most fair trade shops in the UK with gift items, accessories and clothing.

Samsara Crafts – You’ll find this shop at Unit 40  (on the slope!) in the Princes Quay shopping centre in Hull. They have been buying direct from their producer groups in Indonesia for many years but you will also find goods from other fair trade suppliers.

Shared Earth – The region’s only WFTO member, their shop at 1 Minster Gates, York YO1 7HL stocks a wide range of fairly traded craft, gift and food items mainly sourced direct from their producer groups around the world. Shared Earth is also one of the biggest suppliers for the UK’s fair trade shops.

Sonia’s Smile – This fair trade shop at 85 Main Street, Haworth BD22 8DA specialises in fair trade jewellery, accessories and clothing from around the world but you can also find a range of Fairtrade food.

Suma – This Halifax- based co-operative is one of the main suppliers of organic, vegan, and Fairtrade food and drink to shops including fair trade shops.

The Africa House – Based in North Yorkshire, The Africa House sources craft and gift items from Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. They sell online and supply to shops.

York Scarves – As the name suggests they specialise in scarves – from basic net scarves to beautifully woven and dyed silk scarves their Indian artisans live in one of the poorest areas of India. They supply fair trade shops.

York Fair Trade Forum held its AGM and annual social on Monday 15 October.

The group heard about the great work the forum has been doing across the city working with both York University and York St John University, and holding a successful Fairtrade Breakfast in a city centre cafe during Fairtrade Fortnight. Attended by over a dozen local councillors the breakfast was featured on the local news programme York TV. The forum organises a Schools Conference every year and holds information and fundraising stalls at community events including York Pride.

The keynote speaker was Catalina Quiroz-Nino who is a visiting professor at York St John University. Catalina told the group about the COCLA co-operative who work with thousands of farmers and artisans in Peru, mainly in the mountainous Andean regions. Farmers from the co-operative grow, among other things, Cafe Direct’s Machu Picchu coffee, one of the UK’s best selling Fairtrade products. We learned about the challenges faced by farmers with climate change, coffee rust disease and the Peruvian government’s policy to support mining at the expense of other forms of industry.

COCLA is keen to stress that the UN’s sustainable development goals offer them the best future and urge all fair trade campaigners to promote these goals and help achieve them by 2030.

The Yorkshire Fairtrade Supporter Conference provided a boost for Fairtrade campaigning in the region. Held at the University of Leeds on 22nd September, attendees were able to learn of the huge amount of activity that was taking place to promote Fairtrade across Yorkshire.

Some of the conference attendees at the University of Leeds

Speakers included: rice farmers from Malawi, Webster Kita and Howard Msukwa; Linda McAvan MEP; Professor Bob Doherty, trustee of the Fairtrade Foundation; Fairtrade Yorkshire Coordinator, Mark Dawson; and Head of Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation, Kevin McCullough.

Workshops were held on: the latest developments in Fairtrade, working with social media, ideas for introducing Fairtrade to young people and Fairtrade in places of worship.

Mark Dawson was elected as the new National Campaigner Committee member representing Yorkshire. He paid tribute to the work of his predecessor, Karen Palframan.

With the addition this year of Fairtrade Embsay with Eastby, there are now 38 Fairtrade places across Yorkshire. In recent years new active Fairtrade groups have been established in Morley, a faiths group in Hull, a renewed group in Sheffield and, two years ago, Halifax achieved Fairtrade Town status.

Rev Matt Wright of Lister Hill Baptist, Horsforth, addresses the places of worship workshop

The Yorkshire tour of Malawian rice farmers, Webster Kita and Howard Msukwa, was a great success.  Webster and Howard visited Ilkley, Leeds, Sheffield, Skipton and York and spoke of the issues affecting farmers in Malawi. In Skipton they were given a civic reception from Town Mayor, Alan Hickman. Webster and Howard addressed hundreds of people across their tour and told of the difference their trading partnership with Just Trading Scotland (JTS) has made to the lives of farmers and their families.

Howard and Webster (holding bags of rice) at an event organised by the Fairer World shop in York

Canon John Riches of JTS, who accompanied Webster and Howard, pointed out that although JTS provides some impetus for the farmers, it is the farmers themselves who have created innovative and efficient ways of working in order to face the future. As Webster and Howard explain: ‘the future belongs to the organised.’

Webster and Howard produce the renowned Kilombero rice, regarded as one of the finest available for purchase in the UK. See the JTS online shop.

JTS has challenged schools, as well as churches, colleges and other organisations, to sell 90kg of rice – the amount of rice sold that would enable a Malawian farmer to pay for a year’s basic secondary education for one child.

Click here for more details: 90kg rice challenge

On Saturday 8th September, hundreds of visitors walked round the centre of Baildon, on a drizzly wet day, looking at scarecrows on a theme of Literary Characters. Most children recognised Charlie who stood by a Fairtrade Chocolate Factory, replete with tall mill chimney. They, and their families, were offered Divine Fairtrade Chocolate samples, which were very well received. In all, 520 chocolates were handed out, mainly to the children, suggesting a figure of around 800 visitors who interacted with members of Baildon Fairtrade Group who braved the weather to introduce Charlie.

On 7th September a celebration was held at Halifax Town Hall to mark the renewal of Halifax’s Fairtrade Town status. Halifax has now been a Fairtrade Town for two years. During that time Fairtrade activity has expanded to include many different sectors of life in the town including: the Piece Hall, Halifax Minster, many local schools, community groups and employers.

Halifax MP, Holly Lynch spoke at the event, as did the Coordinator of Fairtrade Yorkshire, Mark Dawson. Mark thanked Holly and Adam Wilkinson for the work that they had put in to ensure that Halifax Fairtrade Town was such a success. Other attendees included: the Mayor and Mayoress of Halifax and the Leader and the CEO of Calderdale Council.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Halifax with the Fairtrade Town renewal certificate

In June Mark Dawson, Coordinator of Fairtrade Yorkshire, visited the European Parliament in Brussels to learn of the work of the European Parliament Fairtrade Group.  The group has successfully raised awareness of Fairtrade amongst MEP’s and other areas of the governance of the European Union.

Coordinator of Fairtrade Yorkshire, Mark Dawson and Linda McAvan MEP.

Yorkshire MEP, Linda McAvan who established the Fairtrade Group, explained that she is working to ensure that a strong Fairtrade Group continues once she, and other British MEPs, no longer have a seat in the Parliament. There are Fairtrade allies from across the EU, who can ensure that Fairtrade will be respected in the EU’s trading agreements.

Linda McAvan also played host to Fairtrade producer, Fortin Bley.

Fortin, a cocoa producer from Côte d’Ivoire, told the European Parliament Fairtrade Group how the money raised through his Fairtrade cooperative was used to build a school in his village, meaning that his daughters no longer have to walk 8km each way to get to school.

In less than 6 years, participation in Fairtrade schemes across Côte d’Ivoire has gone from 9000 participants to an estimated 160,000 agricultural workers. Mr Bley switched to Fairtrade because it means a guaranteed price for his cocoa and a range of other benefits, including more control of the use of pesticides and working conditions in general.

He also spoke about how women farmers were being given a voice through the scheme and access to maternity care and other rights. The new school was built using the Fairtrade premium which is paid into a community fund controlled by the members of the cooperative.

This is why schemes like Fairtrade are so vital, they not only safeguard employment but provide a future for the entire community.

Fortin Bley is the President of the CANN Cocoa Cooperative in Côte d’Ivoire and the Chair of the Fairtrade Western Africa Network.

The East Riding has renewed its status as a Fairtrade county, helping to improve the lives of farmers and workers in the developing world.

The Fairtrade status has been renewed until 2020 thanks to the work of the Fairtrade East Riding Network (FERN), an active voluntary group of which East Riding of Yorkshire Council is a member. FERN works across the East Riding to develop awareness of, and support for, Fairtrade.

Catherine Greenaway, John Turner, Jackson Sage, Councillor Andy Burton and Margaret Knapton with the East Riding’s Fairtrade County Certificate

Issued by the Fairtrade Foundation, the renewal of this status recognises FERN’s ongoing efforts to promote Fairtrade to residents, businesses and schools within the local authority area.

Councillor Andy Burton, cabinet portfolio holder for economic investment and planning delivery at the council, said: “Retaining Fairtrade county status is something that the East Riding can be rightly proud of and demonstrates the area’s commitment to championing the rights of farmers and workers in the developing world.

“FERN has done an excellent job in encouraging residents and retail businesses to buy Fairtrade produce and we would like to congratulate them on securing Fairtrade county status for our area until 2020.”

In response to the application, the Fairtrade Foundation said: “It is apparent that Fairtrade in the East Riding continues to grow. It has been brilliant to read about all your achievements, promoting Fairtrade in a variety of different ways and creating significant momentum for the movement.”

Ros Stanley, Cherry Burton Fairtrade and Local Produce Steering Group, said: “Supporting Fairtrade, empowers us to make a difference. We have helped over 7.5 million farmers and workers across the world to trade their way out of poverty and have a future. We have been a Fairtrade Village since 2003.”

Coverage in the ‘Beverley Life’ newspaper.

Catherine Greenaway, Pocklington Fairtrade and Local Produce Action Group, said: “It is deeply unfair that the farmers in the developing world who grow our food often do not have enough to eat themselves. Fairtrade is a way of addressing that injustice. It is a development tool; a way of lifting people out of poverty giving them not just a fair wage but dignity and hope for the future.”

Catherine also works at Driffield Junior School, adding: “It’s been nearly ten years since the children at Driffield Junior School started to learn about Fairtrade and hold regular events in support of it. The work they have done has not only helped to lift producers in the developing world out of poverty, but has also contributed enormously to their knowledge and understanding of the world they live in.”

John Turner of Beverley Fairtrade Group said: “We are very pleased to be actively involved in FERN and actively contribute to the county being recognised as a Fairtrade County. The support from East Riding of Yorkshire Council is very much appreciated. We hope to encourage other communities to support our aims.”

Margaret Knapton of Hornsea Fairtrade Group said: “Hornsea has a great community spirit and their support of Fairtrade is simply an extension of that – making sure people, no matter where – are supported and rewarded for their hard work”.

For more information on Fairtrade in the East Riding and FERN, contact Jackson Sage, community and sustainable development officer, at jackson.sage@eastriding.gov.uk