Fairtrade fortnight in Winchester
After last years Fairtrade fortnight was such a success the town of Winchester is holding the event again this year.
The event which is run and organised by the City Council aims to create awareness of how important fair trading is to people in some of the poorest countries around the world. The council have other reasons to hold this event too, a bid is currently in place which could mean if successful the Town would join others like Southampton and gain Fairtrade status.
To earn Fairtrade status Towns and Cities must pay local producers a fair price, and invest further to improve working conditions and local sustainability. Winchester University gained Fairtrade status earlier this year by accomplishing targets set by the Fairtrade Foundation which included selling and displaying the Fairtrade symbol around the Campus.
Fair Trade fortnight which runs nationally from 25th February until the 9th March will see a selection of everything Fairtrade, in a series of events and talks which organisers hope will help to raise awareness of the Fairtrade issue.
Winchester isn’t the only town to be getting involved in all things Fairtrade, others locked in the bidding war include Basingstoke, Shaftsbury, and Cirencester. The idea of Fairtrade fortnight was originally thought of by the Fairtrade foundation as a way to help people in stable countries to appreciate the importance of Fairtrade.
Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation said, “After years of chipping away, Fairtrade is finally beginning to make some significant impression on the way we trade,”
With everything from a clothes show to coffee mornings there is something for everyone to enjoy.
