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Saturday 4th September 2010
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January 2010
Fairtrade campaign urges Stourbridge shoppers to swap
In reply to an article in the Stourbridge News pushing for Stourbridge to become a Fair Trade Town.
Quote
Fairtrade group member Virginia Williams said the minimum requirement of 17 retail shops in the town stocking at least two Fairtrade products had been achieved towards Fairtrade town status, but two more caterers, taking the total to nine, were needed before Stourbridge could qualify.
She added: “Local folk in Stourbridge can help us to make that list grow by asking for Fairtrade and more importantly, buying it when they see it on the shelves.”
Comment by Maddy Westrop
Sometimes marketing makes you feel good, but a cooler head
might think again.
Remember, this is an £800 million a year industry. The
premium - which is a small % of the supply chain profit - goes to
the plantation owner or cooperative, not the hired workers.
Farmers and workers who are not allowed in the cooperative
can't compete. Worse, poorest countries who aren't in the
Fairtrade club, find that the Fairtrade favourites, such as
Mexico are encouraged to over-produce and the price for the
poorer countries, like Rawanda, goes down!
At a time when dairy farmers in our own country are going out of
business and suffering greatly because of the EU's Common
Agricultural Policy, you can help producers nearer home by buying
British.