Our Annual Review 2018-19 summarises our activities during the 12 months to the end of March 2019.
During the year, we published the Fair Trade Nation update report, highlighting Scotland’s continued commitment as a Fair Trade Nation. As part of the Year of Young People, we created and launched the Young People’s Network. In continuing to develop our networks, we co-hosted a Fair Trade Nations and Regions seminar with Fair Trade Wales; and we launched our networking sessions around Scotland.
As mentioned by Ben Macpherson MSP in his ministerial message, the launch of the International Fair Trade Charter at the Scottish Parliament in September 2018 was a highlight for us, as has been the support of it since, pledged by MSPs, MPs and organisations across Scotland. Other events for us included our Fair Trade Campaigner Conference 2018 held in Dumfries, and our Fair Trade Nation Lecture 2018, delivered by Ewan Reid of Matthew Algie. Staying on the topic of coffee, we continued as a partner in the Rwandan Coffee Project, and welcomed Aimable Nshimiye from the Sholi Coffee Co-operative during Fairtrade Fortnight. We were also pleased to welcome Palestinian Fairtrade farmer Khader Khader.
We continued to offer Community Grants to support Fair Trade activities across Scotland, and we celebrated those carrying out these activities and campaigning for Fair Trade during our Scottish Fair Trade Awards 2018. We produced case studies on ethical and fair trade procurement practices, and developed our Fair Trade Suppliers map. With continued support from our members during this year, we supported various member events to develop the Fair Trade sector across Scotland.
We hope you enjoy reading our Annual Review 2018-19 in full here.
The 2017/18 Annual Review summarises the Forum's activities over the past 12 months. This year the Scottish Fair Trade Forum has developed further relationships with public sector organisations, and kept taking action to support the education sector at all level. In this regard, we have supported the University of Strathclyde in achieving its Fairtrade status in June 2017. Also very important has been the achievement of the Fairtrade Zone status by Dumfries as well as Galloways and South Ayrshire’s local authorities. Amongst the events that took place this year, we are particularly proud of having welcomed two important representatives of Mzuzu Coffee planter co-operative from Malawi, to take part in the Fair Trade Fiesta, and to host the fifth annual Scottish Fair Trade Awards ceremony in Paisley. You can view the Annual Review here.
More than two years have passed since Scotland achieved Fair Trade Nation status, as only the second nation in the world to do so. Now other nations and regions are looking at our model as a way of further promoting Fair Trade. The Forum has continued raising awareness of Fair Trade across Scotland as well as maintaining and further developing the good relationships with producers and their communities across the globe. This year, we welcomed visitors from Malawi, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius and Ghana, whose stories and experiences inspired communities and campaigners, old and new.
It has been another busy year for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. After achieving Fair Trade Nation Status we continued to work hard in supporting new Fair Trade town and zone applications. One of our key focus this past year was to create direct links between Scotland and Fair Trade producers through the 2013 producer tours. On top of all the hard work we managed to celebrate Scotland's Fair Trade Nation Status with the Fair Trade Festival which brought together 400 campaigners and supporters.
