A short time ago the Fairtrade Foundation conducted a survey to ascertain people’s reaction to changing some of the ‘goals’ towns, villages, city’s etc would have to achieve to obtain Fairtrade status.
This was a result of recent success in getting ‘big brands’ like Tate & Lyle, Cadbury’s and Nestle to convert either completely or in single brands to Fairtrade sources. This success had the knock on effect of making it easier for retailers to ‘claim’ they stocked Fairtrade products. For example, local newsagents and petrol forecourt shops were suddenly Fairtrade retailers by default, simply because of what they stocked, e.g. Cadbury Dairy Milk and Nestle Kik Kat.
The result of the survey is that retail outlets would now be required to stock 4 different Fairtrade marked ranges to help the town etc qualify or renew its status. Obviously this target needs to be flexible to take into account the number of outlets available in some places. Part of the future assessment will be concerned with how a group has gone about trying to ‘deepen’ a retailers commitment to Fairtrade not just on whether the retailer has actually increased the number of Fairtrade products stocked (though that should be the preferred indicator of success, deepening a retailers commitment). It’ll be more about doing things that have a big impact in a local area for example, campaigning on trade justice, celebrating the companies and businesses that go the extra mile, joining forces with other Fairtrade Town groups, working with schools, organising events or building relationships with businesses.
It’ll be a gradual change for most groups over the next 12 months or so.
