By Peter Desmond, Fairtrade Lindfield Steering Group
Matt Askey, Co-op Manager, outside the Co-op with Chris Lee of Fairtrade Lindfield
Lindfield is one of over 600 towns and villages across the UK which is accredited as Fairtrade. Lindfield village was given Fairtrade status in 2018 and has been re- accredited until 2021.
What does it mean to be a Fairtrade village? It means that some of our shops, cafes, offices, churches, schools and community groups use or sell Fairtrade products.
The Fairtrade label gives a better deal for farmers and workers in developing countries to secure sustainable livelihoods. As consumers we can support this by buying Fairtrade products such as bananas, wine, chocolate, coffee, orange juice, flowers etc. It is a simple way to support the people who grow some of our everyday foods yet live thousands of miles away. Many of these products are available at our own Co-operative food store.
To promote Fairtrade Fortnight (24th February to 8th March), Matt Askey, Manager of Lindfield Co-op, is supporting Fairtrade Lindfield by kindly donating Fairtrade chocolate to businesses in the High Street. Matt said: “I believe stocking Fairtrade products is the right thing to do, to help growers have a chance of a better life.”
In Lindfield we are also very fortunate to have retailers and cafes with a heart for trading fairly as well as sourcing their products from the local area. They are great examples of how individual businesses can make a difference through their supply chains.
If you would like to know more about Fairtrade please take a look at: www.fairtrade.org.uk/What-is-Fairtrade