Bath Fairtrade Officer appeals for more churches to gain Fairtrade Status!
Alison Wells who supports voluntary Fairtrade groups in Bath and the Somer Valley (Norton Radstock area), is appealing for more churches and Christians in the city to join the groups. "The groups are very small and in order to continue their good work we need new members. It would be great to have more people involved supporting the group's work - or getting their church's own Fairtrade status."
(PICTURE: ALISON WELLS - BATH FAIRTRADE GROUPS LEADER AND BANES COMMUNITY PROJECTS OFFICER)
"We would like to encourage more local places of worship and schools to obtain their own official accreditation from the Fairtrade Foundation. For places of worship, there are only three criteria to meet and five for schools."
Churches criteria is as follows (according to the Fairtrade Foundation website):
- Using Fairtrade tea and coffee (after services and at meetings where the church has responsibility
- Moving forward to promote the use of other Fairtrade products (biscuits, sugar, etc)
- Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight through events; worship and other activities.
Bath Fairtrade meets on a monthly basis (usually in Manvers Street Baptist Church) and has an open membership policy - to anyone with a passion to implement Fairtrade. "The role of the group is to raise the profile of Fairtrade locally and encourage more people to buy or use Fairtrade products. It does this through organising specific events for Fairtrade Fortnight as well as attending local events throughout the year.
"We would like to encourage more Church members and Christians in the city to join - we are a friendly bunch!" says Alison.
Bath Fairtrade liaises with a wide variety of organisations, particularly when completing the renewal forms for the City’s accreditation. These include Churches, Schools, Businesses, Charities and more.
The role of the group is to raise the profile of Fairtrade locally and encourage more people to buy or use Fairtrade products. It does this through organising specific events for Fairtrade Fortnight as well as attending local events throughout the year. It is esponsible for ensuring that Bath retains its official status as a Fairtrade City. To achieve this, various criteria need to be fulfilled and information provided to the Fairtrade Foundation on the number of retailers, workplaces, community groups, schools and churches that are using or selling Fairtrade products. The accreditation has to be renewed every other year and targets are increased each time, making it important for the group to continue encouraging more organisations to get involved.
The group is also represented on the South West Fairtrade network, enabling it to share information and campaign on a regional as well as local basis.
Members of the Bath group include local residents as well as representatives of Manvers Street Baptist Church, Kerala Crafts, Traidcraft, the University of Bath (which has official Fairtrade accreditation), Faragher Jones publishers (who produce the Fairtrade Directories) and Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Why Buy Fairtrade?
"Every day, we consume products that have been produced overseas – from our 
morning cups of tea or coffee to a mug of cocoa last thing at night. However, we rarely give much thought to the life of the people that have worked to grow and harvest them, many of whom are among the world’s poorest.
"The Fairtrade movement aims to address the injustices of conventional trade, which often discriminate against the poorest producers. Fairtrade means better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. It enables them to improve their own lives, the lives of their families and the wider community." says Alison.
A product that carries the official Fairtrade mark guarantees that the producer has been paid a fair price for it - one which covers the cost of its sustainable production and never falls below the current market value. It also guarantees that a premium has been paid on top. This must be invested in social, environmental or economic development projects decided upon democratically by producers or workers on a plantation. Typically, this premium is invested in local education, healthcare or improvements to farming practices.
Alison adds "There are other standards too – one enables producers to obtain pre-financing from the purchaser if required. Others place emphasis on the establishment of long term, sustainable trading partnerships. There are also criteria to ensure that the conditions in which the goods are produced and traded are socially and economically fair as well as environmentally responsible."
She also warns of labels alluding to a product as being 'fairly traded' - as these items do not carry the official Fairtrade mark which means the essential criteria's will not necessarily have been met. It may also be because it can take time to reach the standards required for the accreditation, or because standards have yet to be set for that particular product. Instead, they may be listed by the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) or British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).
Bath - A City an official Fairtrade Town!
One of the essential criteria for a town to get Fairtrade status is to have support from its local authority, says Alison.
"As an official Fairtrade Town BANES has contributed to the production of a Fairtrade Directory for South West for several years - last year, this was expanded to include local food producers and retailers as well.
"Officers from Bath and North East Somerset also provide support to Bath Fairtrade and the volunteer Fairtrade groups for the Somer Valley (Norton Radstock area); Keynsham and Chew Valley. As part of my role as a Community Projects Officer for the Council, I provide support to the Bath and Somer Valley Fairtrade groups." says Alison.
The group is also represented on the South West Fairtrade network, enabling it to share information and campaign on a regional as well as local basis.
More than 3,000 products are now certified 'Fairtrade' and the range has increased well beyond coffee, chocolate and bananas!
"Bath Fairtrade would like to encourage citizens of Bath to buy Fairtrade wherever possible" she says.
Do you want to join Bath Fairtrade Group?
Churches - apply for Fairtrade status today!
Schools - apply for Fairtrade status today!
Could your workplace support Fairtrade?
Fairtrade Foundation: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Bath and North East Somerset Fairtrade Page
Do you have a Fairtrade story? Or are you looking for support for your Fairtrade project? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it