Places Features

There has been growing interest in fair trade over the last few years. The scheme encourages people to buy certified products which ensure the producer in developing countries gets a fair price for their goods.

The market for fair trade products in the UK is now worth over £700 million a year. Commodities like tea, coffee and chocolate are the mainstays.

Many communities have set themselves up as Fairtrade towns; where local councils, schools and other organisations use fair trade products wherever possible.

Graham Perry and Melanie Butler

The latest recruit to the ranks is the town of Pocklington, nestling in the Yorkshire Wolds.  The application process took nearly two years to set-up.

Graham Perry is the secretary of the group that put the bid together. He says that they built on existing work by local faith groups: “There has always been a basic interest in places like the churches to run fair trade coffee mornings and there was a general interest, through the town council, in becoming a Fairtrade town.”

Annette Blanchard: Runs a local delicatessen

In Pocklington the scheme extends beyond community groups with many local shops stocking fair trade produce. Annette Blanchard runs a delicatessen in the centre of the town. She said simply switching suppliers can help out developing countries:
“Recently I’ve changed from a big coffee company to a local trade coffee company and they support the William Wilberforce Association. People have to be aware of what’s happening in other countries and this is our way of doing our little bit. We can’t do masses but as a town I think we can certainly join in and do what we can.”

As a small rural town Pocklington may not seem an ideal place to encourage fair trade. Most existing schemes run in larger towns and cities with bigger populations. However, Graham Perry said that small is beautiful: “I think it’s on a more personal basis in a smaller town like Pocklington. That people know of it, they know here the events are held, you can more easily publicise them. The local press have been very active supporting what events have taken place and things to happen. So you’ve got that smaller, more personal dimension that pays off.”

The scheme will be reassessed at the end of the year. Melanie Butler who runs the local Oxfam shop has high hopes for the future of fair trade in the town: “I’ll think it will roll on and roll on. And I think more shops will take it on and I think it will really put Pocklington on the map, because, I think it is a really cool thing to do at the moment is to promote fair trade.  Young people are really involved with it and really excited by it and I think it will grow stronger and stronger.”