Suffolk Fairtrade

Suffolk has a number of Fairtrade towns.  Fairtrade towns are towns where a special effort has been made to promote Fairtrade, usually involving local councils, businesses, churches, schools and voluntary organisations.  To obtain Fairtrade Town status towns have to meet a number of criteria laid down by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing  world.  Buying Fairtrade products ensures that producers receive a fair price for their goods - and there is also a ‘social premium’ which goes towards providing community facilities such as clean water.  Producers decide on projects democratically. Paying sustainable prices addresses the injustices of conventional trade which can discriminate against the poorest, weakest producers.