Peeblesshire News | News | Fairtrade Area boost is a credit to local people

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 24th February, 2006 10:59

Fairtrade Area boost is a credit to local people

PEEBLES can officially boast that it is the fairest of all the Border towns from next month.

After six months of preparation it, along with a few neighbouring villages, will finally be able to call itself a Fairtrade Area – the first in the Scottish Borders.

Almost 20 shops, cafes and hotels have signed up to the campaign, which involves them selling or serving Fairtrade products.

And many other businesses and organisations such as hairdressers, churches and schools have agreed to start using Fairtrade items.

Fran Swift and Marjorie Robson introduced Fairtrade to Tweeddle almost 14 years ago when they started Traidcraft Drop-Ins.

And Fran is delighted that Tweeddale is backing the initiative. She told the Peeblesshire News: “ “This is a real credit to the people of Peebles and beyond that support for Fairtrade products has grown to such an extent that we can now call ourselves a Fairtrade Area.

“The Traidcraft Drop-Ins were very well supported, but it was last year during the Make Poverty History campaign that more and more people expressed an interest.

“Awareness of what Fairtrade is about grew rapidly and it was an opportunity for us to bring it all together. This shows that Peebles really cares.”

Fairtrade was created in the late 1980s in Holland. The ideals behind the initiative are to guarantee third world farmers a fair and stable price for their products. It eliminates the manipulative middle-man and pumps much-needed extra income to the poor communities who were previously exploited.

The Peebles launch on Saturday, March 11, falls midway through Fairtrade Fortnight.

And leaflets are being produced detailing everyone who is registered under the scheme.

Amongst some of the front-runners backing the status are the parishes of Upper Tweeddale.

Under Fairtrade rules the congregation have to use the Fairtrade products, such as tea, sugar and biscuits for all of their meetings.

Congregation member Rosemary Hall told us: “Becoming a Fairtrade church is a straightforward step for many, and many churches of all denominations are now choosing to do this. I’m all in favour of Fairtrade.”

Social Bookmarking What are these?