In March 2007 the Forum celebrated the confirmation of Abergavenny's Fairtrade Town Status at a reception in the Mayor's Parlour.  The Forum continues to promote Fairtrade and the sale and use of Fairtrade products by local businesses and organisations.

International trade favours rich countries over the poor.  Many farmers and workers in developing countries who provide us with sugar, cocoa, fruit and coffee for example, do not get their fair share of the benefits of trade and market prices fluctuate widely.  They often work in poor countries with low wages and little job security.

Fairtrade is different.  Fairtrade guarantees farmers in developing countries a fair price for their product that covers the price of production, no matter how low the world market price goes.  By buying Fairtrade products we can make a difference to over 5 million farmers, workers and their families. 

The Fairtrade logo is a waving person against a background of grass and sky. Look for this Mark on products when you shop. It guarantees the producers have been paid a fair price for their products.

5 Goals to Become a Fairtrade Town

1:  A local Fairtrade steering group is established to work towards, and then maintain
     Fairtrade Town status for Abergavenny.
2:  Local Council resolution to support Fairtrade and use Fairtrade products at it' s meetings
3:  At least 4 local shops sell a range of Fairtrade products
4:  At least 2 local cafe's serve Fairtrade products.
5:  A number of local organisations and businesses support Fairtrade. 

Beyond the 5 goals
Since the Abergavenny Fairtrade Forum was formally constituted on 1st February 2006 a lot has happened.  A group of members researched local support for Fairtrade; they shared the task of contacting and visiting local shops, cafes, doctors' surgeries, churches and local organisations. This has proved very encouraging as many of the organisations contacted were already using or selling Fairtrade products and others were prepared to consider ordering products.  Having achieved the 5 Goals for national recognition by the Fairtrade Foundation the Forum is continuing to engage other businesses and organisations. If you belong to an organisation that would like to know more about joining the Forum or sourcing Fairtrade products do get in touch.  See below for contact details and useful links.

Milestones in the Forum's History

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ABERGAVENNY TOWN COUNCIL RESOLUTION

 In May 2006 the Town Council resolved to "Contribute to the campaign to increase the sales of products with the Fairtrade logo and to achieve Fairtrade status for Abergavenny".  Forum members met with the Mayor Ray Hill on World Fairtrade Day to receive the exciting news that our second goal has been achieved.

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 CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION

In July and we were back to the Mayor's Parlour for another significant milestone. The Forum was delighted that the new Mayor, Tony O'Donovan, agreed to present the first round of Certificates to 11 organisations who have pledged to support Fairtrade and to use or sell some Fairtrade products. The commitment of Oxfam which has been offering Abergavenny people Fairtrade goods since the early nineties and now has an extensive range of consumable and non-consumable Fairtrade products was praised. The three other local retail outlets; Waitrose, Tesco and Holland and Barrett also received certificates. The newcomers included three of the local Churches; The Castle Street Methodists, The United Reform Church and the Quakers. The Trading Post Coffee House, the Sevencorners Cafe, the staff at Tudorgate Surgery and the Highfield House Bed and Breakfast also received certificates. The Mayor himself was also presented with a certificate as the Town Council is now committed to serving Fairtrade refreshments.

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THE FORUM MEET THE COUNTY COUNCILLORS

Three Forum members made a presentation to the Bryn y Cwm Area Committee of the Monmouthshire County Council at their July meeting. The Councillors were very supportive and resolved to support the aims of the Forum and use Fairtrade refreshments at their meetings.  It was also agreed that practical support from the Area office staff will also be made available to the Forum to support the promotion of Abergavenny as a Fairtrade Town. Councillors from areas beyond the town were encouraged to spread the message to community organisations and local shops and the Forum offered to give support and advice.

FAIRTRADE IN LOCAL SCHOOLS

KING HENRY VIII STUDENTS EXAMINE FAIRTRADE ISSUES

In July 2006 Forum members took part in the local event acting as an information resource answering questions from the King Henry students at their Fairtrade Days. This event was part of the county wide sessions held for sixth formers at the four Monmouthshire comprehensive schools.

ONE PUPIL'S CAMPAIGN  - KHS plays fair !

 At KHS close on fifty students were jostling for a place in the canteen queue to buy chocolate bars from our profit-loving suppliers. And I realised- people don't mind paying a little bit extra for the things that they love. This made me think back to Quaker meeting where people were more than happy to pay for fair trade chocolate. I wondered if my peers would feel the same way and a couple of questions later I had my answer- my peers would definitely pay for fairly traded chocolate at school.
The next step was approaching the canteen staff. I went to the school council first who were very enthusiastic about the idea. They agreed that it was important to raise awareness among our students. One of the sixth-formers agreed to set up a meeting between the head of the canteen staff, himself, and me.  The meeting was a success! The head of the canteen staff was very amenable and she took a catalogue saying that they would gladly order Divine bars alongside other chocolate. True to her word a couple of weeks later boxes of divine bars appeared on sale along with a sign advertising them as fair trade chocolate.  They are a little more expensive than other brands, but now KHS students have the option to become ethical consumers, and buy fair trade chocolate from our school canteen.

Hannah Burch