A number of celebrations of Fairtrade products took place, including this one on Ayr beach
South Ayrshire is now officially a Fairtrade Zone after being awarded the status by the Fairtrade Foundation.
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world, and South Ayrshire Council has supported the Fairtrade movement since 2004 (Ayr was awarded Fairtrade town status in 2007; Troon in 2010; and Prestwick in 2011). The council works in partnership with The Energy Agency and the local Fairtrade groups to promote the campaign.
Alongside the promotion of Fairtrade goods in council buildings, 29 retailers and 19 catering outlets support the movement in South Ayrshire, exceeding national targets.
Six schools have achieved Fairtrade status and another 30 aim to achieve this in future. Fairtrade has been a central theme of the Provost’s School Footprint Challenge which promotes sustainability in all the area’s secondary schools and 16 local churches promote Fairtrade through ongoing promotions and events.
Being awarded Fairtrade zone status recognises this collective effort to promote and support Fairtrade values in South Ayrshire.
Councillor Ian Cochrane, said “Securing Fairtrade Zone status sends out a clear message that we care about the way we do business. It’s really satisfying to know that we’re getting this right and helping to deliver a fair deal for people living and working in the developing world while living by our values at home.”
“The campaign is ongoing, though, and with sustainability central to the way we work we’ll be looking to build on our momentum by encouraging more people to get on board to make this worthwhile campaign one that everybody lives by.”
