Fairtrade for Basildon District

Basildon District now officially has Fairtrade Status!

Over the past 18 months a steering group made up of Councillors, Police, charities, faith groups and residents, has been working towards gaining Fairtrade Status for the District.

The steering group has worked very hard to help gain Fairtrade status by working with schools, organising competitions and events, facilitating taster sessions and promoting the importance of Fairtrade products.

To achieve Fairtrade status, The Basildon District Fairtrade Steering Group had to complete a given set of criteria. These included ensuring that Fairtrade goods are widely available in local shops and cafes, ensuring local businesses and organisations use Fairtrade products where possible and more.

The Fairtrade Foundation, a non profit organisation, has been campaigning for over a decade to give disadvantaged food producers in developing countries a fair price for their produce, stop exploitation of workers and reduce poverty.

Now there are approximately 70 local companies, either retail or catering, that are selling Fairtrade products such as fruit, flowers, sports balls, chocolates, honey, wine, clothing and many more.

For the future, the Steering Group now plan on working towards launching the status officially and making people more aware of what they can do to improve and help with the work Fairtrade Foundation does. Future plans include working with flagship employer, The Eastgate Shopping Centre, who provided much support to the Council in promoting Fairtrade products to retailers and shoppers.

The Billericay Fairtrade Group has been working with the Basildon Group and our own campaign for Billericay to be a Fairtrade Town is nearly there - our bid just needs more workplaces to use Fairtrade in their staff rooms and more schools need to be using Fairtrade products in the staffroom, the canteen or in a tuck-shop if appropriate. We are following up interest from local schools and the Youth Town Council and fully expect our bid to be submitted early in 2008. In Billericay Fairtrade can be bought in the Co-op, Nature's Table, Oxfam, Somerfield, Threshers, Waitrose, Cafe in the Park, Greggs, Inn on the Green, The Chequers, Costa Coffee, Puccinos and Woolworth's.