Fairtrade Towns and Co-operatives

This site contains plenty of helpful guidance about how Fairtrade Town groups can work with their local co operatives. First, here is some introductory information on what it means to become a Fairtrade Town and how co-operatives fit into the global Fair Trade movement.

What’s a Fairtrade Town?

• The first Fairtrade Town in the world was Garstang in Lancashire, which declared itself a Fairtrade Town in April 2000. Following Garstangs’ declaration, the Fairtrade Foundation developed five goals through which any community could make a collective commitment to Fairtrade and becomes a Fairtrade Town. There are now over 500 Fairtrade Towns in the UK with sister Fair Trade Town campaigns active in 21 countries around the world, and this is growing all the time!
• To become a Fairtrade Town, the following goals have to be achieved and an application submitted to the Fairtrade Foundation:
• Local council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and agrees to serve Fairtrade products.
• A range of Fairtrade products are readily available in the area’s retail and catering outlets.
• Local workplaces and community organisations support Fairtrade and use Fairtrade products whenever possible.
• Media coverage and events raise awareness and understanding of Fairtrade across the community.
• A local Fairtrade steering group is convened to ensure the Fairtrade Town campaign continues to develop and gain new support.
• Fairtrade status is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation; however, the movement is grassroots, community-led and driven by volunteers.  If you do not already live in a Fairtrade village, city, town, zone, county, island or borough, this could still involve you! Fairtrade Towns are about local people and community groups coming together with a common goal and a powerful message about how their community wants trade to work.
• Between 2000 and 2011, 509 towns in the UK became Fairtrade Towns – an average of about three per month!

Where do co-operatives fit into the global Fair Trade picture?

• A co-operative isn’t just your local convenience store – it’s a global movement with one billion members worldwide.
• A co-operative is a group of people acting together to meet the common needs and aspirations of its members, sharing ownership and making decisions democratically.
• Producer co-operatives enable farmers and other small producers to work together to control their own businesses. Many Fairtrade products come from producer co-operatives. This co-operative structure means they can work together to make sure all members have a say, earn a decent income and can invest together in improving the standard of living for the whole community.
• Co-operatives are a way of life in many parts of the world. Many people in poor communities in developing countries rely on co-operatives for vital things such as health care, affordable credit, access to affordable food, basic goods and public transport.
• In 2010, 75% of Fairtrade products came from producer co-operatives in poor countries. The remaining 25% came from Fairtrade-certified plantations or factories.
• Over 29 million people in Europe are members of a consumer co-operative. In countries such as Italy, Denmark and Spain, these consumer co-operatives and their members have played a huge role in the growth of the Fair Trade movement.