Borough clears final Fairtrade hurdle

Published: 10:23 AM July 3, 2009 Updated: 8:26 PM October 10, 2020

THE campaign to secure Fairtrade status for Great Yarmouth has been given a major boost after Great Yarmouth Borough Council agreed to support the scheme.

Councillors passed a resolution to support the concept of Fairtrade and make a commitment to promoting Yarmouth as a Fairtrade borough at a meeting on Thursday.

The decision means the Fairtrade Steering Committee have fulfilled all five criteria it needs to apply for Fairtrade status, making it the first borough in Norfolk to have the title.

Committee chairman Mark Llewellyn said: “We are pleased with the decision. With the resolution, it is one of the five stages to making Yarmouth a Fairtrade borough. It is one of our final hurdles so what we will be doing in the next few weeks is filling in an application for Fairtrade status.”

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As part of the council's agreement, the local authority has to use Fairtrade products where possible, such as by serving Fairtrade coffee and tea at meetings.

Mr Llewellyn added the committee also had to show the campaign had the support of 20 retailers and cafes in the borough, but said this total had been comfortably passed.

Other criteria that had to be met were the setting up of the steering group, the use of Fairtrade products in workplaces and media coverage.

The idea behind the Fairtrade initiative is to help Third World farmers and producers out of poverty by selling their products including handicrafts, sugar and cocoa in developed countries at fair prices.

“It is good for Yarmouth. It shows the town's businesses are responsible in the way they do their commerce. Also, it is good for business. If we are promoting Fairtrade products then we are promoting business,” Mr Llewellyn said.

Further Fairtrade events are planned for Yarmouth and the campaign is supported by Yarmouth MP Tony Wright.