New Glasgow Fairtrade Business Logo

Published: 1 March 2016

The new Glasgow fair trade window sticker was unveiled at the City Chambers at a business breakfast in support of Fairtrade Fortnight 2016.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Cllr Sadie Docherty, is a keen supporter of Glasgow's Fairtrade City Status as the city's First Citizen and as part of her international aid activities, welcomed the new fair trade stickers: "Fairtrade Fortnight is a great opportunity to highlight Glasgow's special interest in promoting ethical trading.

"We hope that the launch of the new Glasgow fair trade sticker logo will shine a spotlight on the many shops and businesses in our city who support Fairtrade products.

"I also hope that lots of Glaswegians will take up this year's Fairtrade Fortnight challenge to 'to stand up for farmers and sit down to breakfast'."

The Glasgow Fair Trade Co-operative, which created the new stickers, is made up of representatives from Glasgow City Council, local business and charities. The aim of the group is to encourage more Glasgow businesses to use and sell a range of fairly traded products such as tea and coffee.

The New Logo

The window sticker was developed after a review of the current Glasgow shops supplying Fairtrade stock, and will let passers-by know a business sells Fairtrade products.

The Fair trade sticker has three levels: bronze, silver, and gold - each category represents an increased level of commitment to Fairtrade:

• Bronze-  three types of Fairtrade products
• Silver- five types of Fairtrade products
• Gold- seven types of Fairtrade products

The Glasgow Fair Trade Co-operative hopes the different levels of stickers will create some friendly competition and incentivise businesses to stock new Fairtrade products.

Glasgow Fair Trade Co-Operative

Scott Erwin, Chair of the Glasgow Fair Trade Co-operative, said: "Glasgow has a great tradition of social justice and the Fairtrade movement is one of the many ways consumers can empower whole communities by buying products with the Fairtrade mark. This ensures producers are paid a fair price for their products, gives them long term economic security and the social premium is either invested in healthcare, education or infrastructure.

"The Glasgow Fair Trade Co-Operative are encouraging the business community in Glasgow to celebrate their use of Fairtrade ingredients through the launch of the new stickers.

"These stickers were designed by Glasgow school kids working with council designers and are another part of our efforts to maintain Fairtrade status for the City and to promote social justice through co-operatives".

Big Breakfast

The new sticker was launched at a Big Breakfast today (1 March 2015) held in the City Chambers as part of the 2016 Fairtrade fortnight, which runs until Sunday March 13. This year's theme aims to get people thinking about where their breakfast comes from and the farmers who produce it, both at home and abroad.

This year's theme focuses on Martin Luther King's quote: "Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half the world."

People are encouraged over the next two weeks to have a 'Big Breakfast' to help support farmers and workers to put food on the table for their families by harnessing the power of a Fairtrade breakfast.

Running from Monday, February 29 to Sunday, March 13, the theme for 2016 is 'Stand Up for Farmers, Sit Down for Breakfast'.

The aim is to get people thinking about where their breakfast comes from and the farmers who produce it, both at home and abroad.

Several other Fairtrade events are taking place in Glasgow over the next two weeks including a Fairtrade football tournament for local schools which will be held in Toryglen Regional Football Centre on Tuesday 8th March. Pupils from 29 Glasgow schools will take part in this event.

Glasgow - a Fairtrade City

Glasgow was declared a Fairtrade City in 2006 by the Fairtrade Foundation, the UK member of the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation International (FLO). Since then the local fair trade steering group has raised almost £20,000 to support events highlighting the role of fair trade and the products that are available.

In 2009, the steering group decided that to allow for greater inclusivity and flexibility it reformed as the Glasgow Fair Trade Co-Operative.

Most Fairtrade producers use co-operative structures to get the produce to our markets; so we thought this would complement values inherent within the group already. Ethical trading, support for community, education, democratic ownership are all longstanding co-operative values.

To learn more click here.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2016

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 29 February to 13 March and this year's message is "Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers".

The national two-week event will feature a giant Fairtrade breakfast in support of the farmers who grow the food we have every morning, such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas.

Fairtrade works with 1.5 million farmers and workers in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin and Central America, with the majority of them farmer-owned co-operatives, enabling them to earn a sustainable income and the Fairtrade Premium that they can invest in vital community, business and environmental projects.

To learn more click here.

Photo Caption

The first business in Glasgow to get the new Glasgow fair trade sticker is Roots Fruits & Flowers on Great Western Road. Left to right Garth Gulland, the owner of Roots Fruits & Flowers, along with employee Keiran Austin are photographed.