March 18th 2025
In this event report, our newsletter editor Frances Lloyd summarizes the talk by Sylvia Duffy and Liz Taylor from the Ludlow Fairtrade Town Group.
Sylvia and Liz are from the Ludlow Fairtrade Town Group. Ludlow was first given fair trade status in 2003. At that time, many Traidcraft products were sold in Ludlow but Traidcraft, a UK-based Fairtrade organisation, went into administration in 2023.
The Fairtrade Foundation came into being in 1992 and under it, Ludlow became a Fairtrade town. The Foundation sets the criteria for fair trade status and grants a license if the criteria are satisfied. It is about the products that are sold in a town, not the businesses, which have to ensure that the products satisfy certain standards – fair price, fair terms of supply, fair treatment of producers. That means no child labour, produced in a safe and healthy working environment, environmentally friendly and good labour relations. The British Association of Fair Trade Shops was formed in 1995 and is a membership organisation for shops selling fairly traded handicrafts in the UK. There is also the World Fair Trade Organisation, which is an association of small and medium enterprises who are at the forefront of advocating for an equitable and sustainable world.
Locally
The Ludlow Fairtrade Town Group promotes fair trade in and around Ludlow. They work with Ludlow21 and the Ludlow Chamber of Commerce, working with businesses to try and persuade them to stock more fair trade products. They work with local schools and in the community. There is a Fairtrade Fortnight each year in Ludlow, held in September. The group has close links to the Ludlow Town Council who provide publicity and grants. For example, the Council paid for the Ludlow Fair Trade Shopping Guide. The group is also involved in local campaigns. They have market stalls, though not as many as they did in the past now that there are no Traidcraft products. The group also raises fair trade issues with local MPs.
Sylvia talked about her history in the movement. In the late 1980s, she lived in Durham where the first Traidcraft warehouse was established in a shopping centre. The fair trade movement had started in Germany and there was a fair trade shop and group in Durham. When she moved to Ludlow she joined the local group.
Climate change
The fair trade movement is very concerned about climate change. The Global North causes the problems and the Global South has a right to grow their products. Changes in the climate affect the landscape with flooding, droughts and poverty. People from the Global South come North to improve their standard of living and are treated badly as immigrants. The fair trade movement is now more important than ever because of climate change.
Issues facing farmers
Coffee prices – Fair trade prices will rise because of the effects of climate change, but producers don’t receive the increase in money – they only get 10 per cent. The Fairtrade Foundation says that price rises don’t solve the problem as farmers can’t grow anything else. By 2050, 60 per cent of coffee won’t be able to be grown in West Africa because of climate change.
Bananas – Fungus is affecting crops. Large businesses are involved, for example, Fyffes.
Cocoa – Very badly affected by changes in the climate. Prices for the farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate brand Divine rose on 21st March.
Farmers are getting older as young people don’t want the struggle involved.
Fair trade initiatives
Asking large businesses to invest in certain initiatives – for example, big money is needed to invest in projects such as solar panels in Africa.
6,000 products now carry the fairtrade mark.
Some products, for example cashew nuts, are grown, processed and packed in Southern Africa. A model which needs to be a lot more widespread.
Made-in-Africa chocolate is sourced and made in Africa. Only one per cent of chocolate is actually made in Africa, although a lot of it is grown there.
Liberation nuts helps farmers in Kerala to showcase their products.
Transform Trade is a charity that sets up projects. For example, Diversitea helps farmers diversify into other things apart from tea.
Campaigns
UPOV 91 or the 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an international agreement that grants intellectual property rights to plant breeders over their new plant varieties. UK trade deals don’t protect old varieties, seed banks, etc.
Fairer Fashion. Protects homeworkers in the garment industry and the fashion industry generally.
Promoting Fairtrade Towns. This requires a group of people interested in moving their town into being a fairtrade town. It has to be a town which has a number of businesses selling fairtrade products. They have to issue a fairtrade guide listing businesses stocking fairtrade products. They need town council support and a website to promote fairtrade. They have to submit a report to the Fairtrade Foundation every two years to keep the license.