Island retains Fairtrade status for 11th year

Manx pupils learn about ethical choices

The Isle of Man has been made a certified Fair Trade Island for another two years.

The announcement came on the same day as the annual Fairtrade conference for primary school students which was held at the legislative buildings on Thursday (24 Jan).

Fairtrade pioneer Bruce Crowther MBE who runs the Fig Tree, was in attendance at the event.

His not-for-profit chocolate producing enterprise is based in Garstang, Preston, the world's first ever Fair Trade Town.

Mr Crowther founded the Fair Trade Town initiative in 2001 and has now seen 2135 towns join up from across the world in 34 countries including India, Taiwan and Lebanon.

Last year, Soeul in South Korea with its population of 10 million, attained the status making it the largest Fair Trade Town in the world.

Mr Crowther involvement in the fairtrade movement goes back nearly 40 years where as a 25 year-old, a certain rock concert made quite the impression on him.

"We had LiveAid which raised the awareness of poverty around the world.

"I soon realised that we are living in world where children are dying every three seconds from poverty and most importantly, realised it is actually preventable."

He then moved to the small Lancashire town of Garstang, and began working with the local Oxfam branch promoting the Fairtrade label.

Wealth inequality is 'the burning issue' that has been with him ever since 1985, and following the success of his initiative, he is now the International Fair Trade Town ambassador which sees him travel to communities around the world raising awareness of the fairtrade mark.

"Children understand fairness straight away" he said "they understand when a cocoa farmer is growing cocoa for their chocolate bars and is living in poverty or has no access to clean water or health care, that bothers them.

"What I fear with young children, if we're not careful, they'll grow up into a cynical world and they'll start becoming more selfish.

"But if we can get them at this early age and teach them the facts and most importantly, teach them that if they care, it can make a difference."

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is a recognised certification which applies mostly to producers in the developing world.

The logo or mark is typically found on items like tea, coffee, sugar and bananas, foodstuffs that we can't grow locally on the Isle of Man.

As the name suggests it ensures that the growers, wherever they are in the world can sell their product and receive a better deal and fairer price for it.

There are over 4,500 different fairtrade products on the market and the organisation which urges consumers to buy it when they can, says it empowers farmers 'who are traditionally discriminated against' and 'enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.'

'Fair Trade Island'

Mr Crowther is credited for playing an instrumental role in the Isle of Man securing its first Fair Trade Island status back in 2008, something it ought to be 'really proud of' he says.

"If they [the students] see the Island they are living on is a Fair Trade island whilst Tynwald is supporting this, it actually boosts the students' courage for what is ethically right."

Coordinator at the One World Centre, Wendy Shimmin, who liaises with the Fairtrade Isle of Man branch, says the renewal is testament to the activity of consumers and businesses alike.

"It's down to the whole Island really. People working in shops selling fairtrade goods, people supporting fairtrade through their own personal buying choices. Also the island's fairtrade group which goes out and promotes a local use as well." 

Among the primary school pupils was Jen from St.Thomas', who believes everyone should 'help the farmers'.

"We live in a big world with lots of rich people who don't really care about the poor and sometimes you have to look back on the people who aren't as lucky as you."