Pickering Fairtrade Town Campaign has renewed its status as a Fairtrade Town as the Fairtrade Foundation has approved the application as the number of catering and retail outlets supplying fairtrade has   doubled over two years. During Fairtrade Fortnight we will be asking people to try a fairtrade product they haven’t tried  before. As more and more products are becoming fairly traded and display the symbol which certifies they have    qualified for this, there is even more choice than ever.

            Last year we focused on fairtrade   bananas and this year we will focus on tea. 72% of the tea drunk in this country has not qualified for the fairtrade symbol although some have a less rigorous  ethical mark. It is possible for large companies to do this, a major sugar producer took two years to move its entire retail sugar cane range to qualify for the symbol. Some major supermarkets own brands of teas, coffees, and chocolate are now 100% fairtraded,  together with some bananas and certain cosmetics ie. cocoa body butter and a body wash. (Check the label for the Fairtrade symbol!) It is do-able!

            The Pickering Fairtrade Campaign will be joining the Traidcraft and Women`s Institute nationally in this  focus in Fairtrade Fortnight Feb 22nd to March 6th and will continue afterwards during the year as well. We will have leaflets locally to explain the issues or if you have access to the internet go to WWW.traidcraft.co.uk  ­- WWW.makeitfair.org.uk  or WWW.womensinstitute.org.uk  ­Campaigns, where you can view interviews with producers and workers on the benefits for them of the fairtrade accreditation.

Judy Dixon.