Biggar granted Fairtrade Town status

For years local schoolchildren have led the campaign to get people buying ethically-sourced products.

And this week their hard work paid off, when the town was added to the Fairtrade list.

A spokesperson for Biggar's Fairtrade Town Steering group said: "We are delighted that after several years of hard work Biggar is now a Fairtrade Town. We have had huge support from a large number of businesses and organisations in the town without which this would not have been possible. Obtaining Fairtrade Town status is great for Biggar, but even better for the people in the developing world who are paid fair prices when people buy Fairtrade products. This enables them to access things which we all take for granted like education and clean water."

To mark the occasion, Provost Ian McAllan joined representatives of the Fairtrade Town Group for a celebration at Biggar Primary School.

Adam Gardner, from the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Biggar to the Fairtrade movement which now

boasts more than 2,000 communities worldwide, taking practical steps to making a fairer world trade system a reality. Thanks to the support of the public and campaigners, an increasing number of farmers in developing countries are now selling their products on Fairtrade terms, bringing them a stable income, and the chance to trade their way out of poverty."