Jim is encouraging shoppers in East Renfrewshire to buy Fairtrade products during this Fairtrade Fortnight (22rd February – 7th March).
Jim welcomed the Labour’s plan to boost funding for the Fairtrade labelling system and urged shoppers in East Renfrewshire to look for the Fairtrade Mark on food, gifts and other products in the shops.
Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the Fairtrade Mark and there are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers in developing countries. Labour’s latest investment will bring another 1 million producers into the scheme and enable 7 million more people in poor countries to benefit from a better deal offered by Fairtrade.
Jim said:
“Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the world’s poorest people. By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.
“When consumers and retailers act together to promote and buy goods from developing countries, we can make a real difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.”
Douglas Alexander, Labour’s International Development Secretary, said:
“Jim has been a passionate campaigner on fair trade. I hope shoppers across East Renfrewshire will join Jim during Fairtrade fortnight and take the chance to swap their usual shopping for Fairtrade products.“
Notes to Editors:
Labour has supported Fairtrade since 1997 with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID). But this year Labour is significantly boosting support for Fairtrade by quadrupling funding to £12m over the next four years (2010-13) through the global body FLO. Farmers in developing countries will also see twice as much money invested directly back through their local organisations for community projects such as irrigation and clinics through "Fairtrade Premiums".
• To back the campaign for a law to guarantee international aid go to: www.globalpovertypromise.com
Since 1997, aid increases and debt cancellation have helped to get 40 million more children into school, while the number of people with access to AIDS treatment has increased from just 100,000 to over 4 million. The proportion of the world’s population living in poverty has fallen from a third to a quarter thanks to a combination of both aid and trade.
• For more on Labour’s international development policy, go to: www.labour.org.uk/international_development1
Last year alone, Labour’s Department for International Development helped train over 100,000 teachers, vaccinate more than three million children against measles, provide a million people with clean water, protect seven million people with anti-malaria bednets and give more than 12 million people access to better sanitation.
• To find out more about the Government’s international development work see www.difid.gov.uk