Message from Bruce Crowther for Scotland’s 10 years as a Fair Trade Nation
Hello my name is Bruce Crowther and I am the Founder of the Fair Trade Towns movement speaking to you now from the new Fig Tree Fair Trade Centre located in Dolphinholme just outside Garstang.
That became the world’s first Fair Trade Town in April of 2000.
This led to an international movement of over 2,000 villages, towns, cities, counties and yes, even nations in 34 countries across the globe.
I’m sorry I cannot be with you today to celebrate this 10th anniversary of Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation, this important Fair Trade milestone towards building a better, fairer and more equitable world.
I can’t believe it is 10 years. Time’s flown by and yet so much has happened in that time.
In Scotland, you have more than played your part. This is a great achievement.
But the world is a very different place now than it was 10 years ago, and sadly, not necessarily for the better.
So as well as celebrating, this is a time to reflect and perhaps redefine what it means to be a Fair Trade Nation.
When the Garstang Oxfam group made made Garstang the first Fair Trade Town, it was never meant to be just about promoting Fair Trade but a tool towards the alleviation of and hopefully eradication of poverty in South.
I know that today many campaigners across the globe share our original vision.
The big question is ‘what do we need to do to make that happen in today’s world’?
But today we celebrate and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate every one of you who contributed to the success of Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation in these last 10 years.
Well done and congratulations to you all.
Bruce Crowther, Founder, Fair Trade Towns Movement
24 February 2023
