The SFTF office is a buzz of activity as we prepare for our AGM and Board elections in Perth on 31 January and for Fairtrade Fortnight February 23-March 7.

It’s been a huge year for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum since our last AGM in February 2008 and we’re excited about all that 2009 will hold as we work to help Scotland become a Fair Trade Nation.

Many of you will have met Julius Ethang’atha, the Kenyan Fairtrade tea producer the Scottish Fair Trade Forum brought to Scotland for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008. Julius was warmly welcomed everywhere he went on his tour of Scotland and was completely overwhelmed by the Fair Trade activism and commitment he encountered here. In his words, he ‘did not expect this.’ He returned to Kenya to tell other tea producers in Michimikuru about how important Fair Trade is in Scotland and that we are even working to become a Fair Trade Nation. When I went to visit Michimikuru last May, I was greeted warmly by people already familiar with Scotland’s relationship with Fair Trade.

UK International Development Minister Douglas Alexander MP, Julius Ethang'atha, Betsy Reed

This year, for Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 the Scottish Fair Trade Forum are hosting female Malawian Fair Trade consultant, Towera Jalakasi, for a two-week tour of Scotland. This will be jam-packed with events from Edinburgh to Stirling, Oban to Ullapool, Ellon to St Andrews. Towera has been involved in building the capacity of Fair Trade producer groups and products from Malawi and has worked closely with several Scottish organisations operating there. She and I will be driving around at full-tilt, taking part in school, community, university, local council and Scottish Government events. The full itinerary will be posted online in early February, once all local groups have finalised the events they’re planning to include Towera and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.

The Fairtrade Foundation are bringing a Fairtrade banana producer to the West Coast of Scotland to participate in events down the West Coast and in Dumfries and Galloway and we are helping Equal Exchange bring a producer to Scotland to visit the Scottish Borders and the Fairtrade Experience in Glasgow. We are truly excited that much of Scotland will have a visit from someone directly involved in Fair Trade in a producer country for the first time ever!

Just a few things coming for Fairtrade Fortnight…
* some Scotland-specific Fair Trade figures - how many people buy Fair Trade products regularly and how the current economic climate will impact Fair Trade shopping in Scotland
* local and national media coverage of Fairtrade Fortnight events and interviews with Towera Jalakasi
* the Fairtrade Foundation ‘Great Debate Tour’ stop in Edinburgh on 4 March, which the Scottish Fair Trade Forum will be chairing
* goodies, giveaways and competitions for Fairtrade, Fair Trade and fairly traded goods

Let us know what Fairtrade Fortnight events are going on in your area and we’ll put them on our Events section. Send details to our Fairtrade Fortnight volunteer, Jeanne, at ‘Jeanne.Evans’ at ’sftf.org.uk.’