Friday 9th March 2012
As Fairtrade Fortnight comes to an end this week, yesterday saw events taking place in Chesterfield aimed at promoting the scheme.
 Fairtrade is a national initiative - backed by most major retailers and many councils - and aims to support producers and farmers throughout the third world, to get a fairer price for their goods on sale in the UK and to encourage better working conditions and local sustainability in countries throughout the developing world. By participating in the scheme farmers are guaranteed a price for their products that will never fall below the market value.
Last year Fairtrade Coffee alone accounted for £193 million worth of sales in the UK.
Chesterfield is classed as a Fairtrade town, based on the number of retail outlets it has which sell Fairtrade products.
To promote those retailers involvement in the initiative, there have been events taking place throughout the fortnight.
The Chesterfield Post went along to a couple yesterday and spoke to those involved about just how vital the Fairtrade label is.
Sainsbury's on Rother Way are fully behind the scheme and sell many Fairtrade products, particularly fruit. They have also worked hard to publicise the scheme locally, and today saw representatives of the store visit Deer Park Primary School to collect competition entry posters designed by the children for the store. The winners will be judged and announced within the next couple of weeks.
During an assembly delivered by Headteacher Tim Soar, the children learned about cotton production and how Fairtrade could help cotton farmers.
Sainsbury's Deputy Store Manager Lee Annais and colleague Emma Harrison with Deer Park Primary school pupils, Mollie, Mollie, Mary, Kieran and Josh, who proudly showed their entries to the Sainsbury's Fairtrade Poster Competition
Afterwards Mr Soar told The Chesterfield Post why it was such a valuable lesson for the children to learn, "In Fairtrade fortnight, we've spent time helping the children learn about global issues. We have a link with a school in India where we try and encourage the children in India and Deer Park to learn from one another. Part of that is The Global Schools Initiative where we try and help our children to learn more about the world, how it works and how they can play a part in it - especially helping others."
Lee Annals, Sainsbury's Deputy Store Manager in Chesterfield attended and spoke with the children along with Emma Harrison from the store. Lee told us that it's something the company values very highly, "It's the right thing to do for the farmers of the world, to give every one a decent opportunity to get a fair price for the goods they produce. It really does make a difference, for them to be able to invest in the future of their business and their families ultimately."
During the morning, the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield also hosted a coffee morning in the Low Pavements where free Fairtrade tea and coffee was available, along with biscuits from the range.
Cllr Barr says that Chesterfield is proud to be a Fairtrade town and takes it very seriously, "Fairtrade have been around a few years now and this is an opportunity for people in the town to see what it's all about. They've come and had a free cuppa and had a talk to people - at the end of the day, it's making sure the farmers and producers get a fair price for their products and their efforts. It's making people aware, they read about it, it's a great opportunity to help to promote it."
But, how does buying Fairtrade actually make a difference?
The Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield at the Fairtrade coffe morning with special guest Moses Rene, a banana grower form St Lucia.
A guest at the coffee morning hosted by the Mayor was Moses Rene, who is a banana grower from St Lucia. He is travelling the region and talking to people about how the scheme actively improves communities in the developing world and is not just anoher brand on the supermarket shelves.
He benefits from Fairtrade and says that, without it, producers like himself would find times very hard, "It's made a huge difference in the Windward Islands, it promised us two things, we'd receive a minimum price for produce, and the communities which we live in get a premium - extra money for the goods to help empower and change lives in the community.
"As a Farmer's Co-operative, we come together and see what we can do to help make communities and lives better. We have established labs at school, a training resource centre and a pre-school in the community, all through Fairtrade - so it has made a difference in St Lucia.
"It's all about empowering our human resources. I have a 7 acre farm, which I grow on throughout the year, at different times production is higher than others. It's usually myself and my brother but at harvest time, we employ about 8 people."
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