MAYOR of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, has urged the public to make a conscious effort to purchase Fairtrade certified products to mark World Fair Trade Day.
The initiative aims to promote and encourage the fair payment of food growing farmers and workers throughout the world and the circular economy model of reuse, recycle, upcycle and repurpose.
The Fairtrade mark was established to ensure developing world farmers are provided a guaranteed minimum price that covers sustainable production and the ability to trade in global markets without exploitation.
“I am proud of Council’s endorsement of the Fairtrade principles which complement our commitment to a Zero Waste Circular Economy,” Said Mayor Tierney.
“A significant amount of the products we buy are grown or produced by farmers in the developing world who are not paid a fair price for their work and forced into poverty.
“This month I would encourage the public to make a particular effort to purchase products that are Fairtrade certified and to continue that habit into the future to help end the exploitation of farmers and workers throughout the world.”
In 2014 the former Derry City Council was awarded Fairtrade City Status and building on this achievement Derry City and Strabane District Council passed a resolution in 2015 to demonstrate Council’s support for a campaign to achieve Fairtrade status for the whole Council area.
DCSDC were the first Council in the North of Ireland to achieve Fairtrade District Status by the Fairtrade Foundation and Fairtrade Ireland.
The Fair Trade movement believe recovering from the pandemic gives the world a chance not just to build back better, but build back fairer.
The WFTO believe that we cannot simply go back to the old normal which left millions behind and was destroying our planet and we now have the opportunity to reboot our economies so it is equitable and sustainable.
Through Fair Trade, organic and social enterprises, cooperatives and other social and solidarity actors, can channel profits to the many, not the few.
Further information on Fairtrade may be found on both the websites for Fairtrade Ireland: www.fairtrade.ie
https://www.facebook.com/foylefairtradecampaign
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