STUDLEY is now officially a Fairtrade Village following a two-year-long campaign.
The status was awarded after the village’s commitment to Fairtrade principles was acknowledged by The Fairtrade Foundation and the news comes after its 2015 resolution to actively promote Fairtrade to consumers, businesses and community groups in the area.
Gordon Marshall, chair of the Studley Fairtrade Campaign, said: ‘’We are extremely pleased to have achieved this status for the village. A big thank you to all the hard work put into achieving this prestigious award by the numerous community groups in the village.’’
In its citation the Foundation was full of praise for Studley: !It is not often that a village’s initial application is already as strong and comprehensive as theirs.’
The organisation’s communities and campaigns manager Adam Gardner added: “We are delighted to welcome Studley to the movement which now boasts more than 1,800 communities worldwide.
‘’Thanks to the support of the public and campaigners, an increasing number of farmers in developing countries are now selling their products on Fairtrade terms, bringing them a stable income and a chance to trade their way out of poverty.
‘’Today, more than 1.6 million farmers and workers across 74 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system, but there is still a long way to go.’’
Towns, cities, boroughs, villages, islands, counties and zones can apply for the Fairtrade Town status and join the movement towards a fairer world trade system.
Criteria that needs to be met to achieve Fairtrade status includes conditions such as attracting media coverage to support the campaign and at least four Fairtrade products being made available to purchase in local shops.
For more information visit www.fairtrade.org.uk
