'The Final Push' Campaign

Scottish Fair Trade Forum launches 'The Final Push' to become a Fair Trade Nation

EDINBURGH - The Scottish Fair Trade Forum (SFTF) launched its latest campaign 'The Final Push' at the SFTF annual Campaign Day in St Thomas of Aquin's RC High School on Saturday, 14 November 2009.

Addressing Fair Trade campaigners from across Scotland, the SFTF Chair Martin Meteyard commended their efforts in seeking to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation, but stressed the need to maintain the momentum.

"We have made immense progress toward achieving our Fair Trade Nation criteria over the past two years. We are launching 'The Final Push' to finish the work to become a Fair Trade Nation and we cannot do it alone.

"We need those living and working in Fairtrade Towns, Villages, Islands, Universities and Zones around Scotland to help. Help those areas around you that have achieved Fairtrade status through the Fairtrade Foundation to do so and let us know how the SFTF can support you."

Campaigners also heard from speakers including Bruce Crowther MBE, founder of the Fairtrade Towns movement, whose keynote speech underlined the leading role Scotland is playing in becoming one of the world's first Fair Trade Nations.

With the SFTF hosting a number of informative and practical workshops to further activism in the community, campaigners also had the opportunity to listen and talk to representatives from Oromo Coffee Company about how Fair Trade has made a difference to both their home communities in Ethiopia and to displaced Oromo people living in the UK.

Scotland currently has 8 Fairtrade Universities, and the SFTF is expected to reach its target of 13 universities achieving Fairtrade status over the coming year, following the launch of the SFTF's new Student Representatives programme.

Scotland's 6 cities are already Fairtrade with 10 local authorities declared Fairtrade Zones, and another 18 working toward the status. 71 per cent of the Scottish population recognise the most common Fair Trade branding - the Fairtrade Mark - and the Fair Trade Nation target of 75 per cent recognition is well within sight.

While 31 Scottish Towns with populations over 5,000 have achieved Fairtrade status, for Scotland to become a Fair Trade Nation, 96 towns with a population over 5,000 need to attain Fairtrade status.

This will be a large focus for the SFTF over the coming 18 months, working in partnership with over three dozen local Fair Trade groups to make it happen.

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