From the 1^st – 14^th March, FAIRTRADE^© is celebrating 10 years. The theme, ‘A Taste for Life’ is a celebration of quality, both quality of life for the producers which is enhanced by the Fairtrade premium, and the top quality of the products.

Five pairs of UK cities are also going to be putting aside their traditional rivalries to jointly declare Fairtrade Town Status at 1pm on Friday, 5^th March, when all are expected to meet the goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation. Their successful bids will be celebrated during the fortnight. The rival cities are Lancaster & York, Oxford & Cambridge, Southampton & Portsmouth, Aberdeen & Dundee, and Leeds & Liverpool. They will join the 31 UK towns, cities, villages and zones which are part of the Fairtrade Towns Initiative. These continue to work towards increased awareness of Fairtrade.

Bruce Crowther, Fairtrade Towns co-ordinator and the inspiration behind the Fairtrade Towns Initiative, explains: “The Wars of the Roses made Lancaster and York infamous rivals and Oxford and Cambridge are of course known for their boating rivalry. The rivalries of all 10 Cities are obvious to people who live in these areas, it’s wonderful that they’ve agreed to put them aside and declare Fairtrade status jointly. This act of friendship is a symbol of the way Fairtrade works around the world, with people buying products which actively help people in developing countries.”

As part of Southampton’s move to declare Fairtrade status, local bands, actors and supporters dressed as Fairtrade foods will gather at the quay on 5 March to welcome a banana boat from the Windward Islands. Its cargo of Fairtrade bananas will be presented to the Mayor of Southampton and taken to hospitals and community centres with messages from the farmers. “By selling bananas with the FAIRTRADE Mark, farmers can earn enough to stay on their land and invest in projects such as building community centres and buying equipment for hospitals and schools,” says Fairtrade Foundation executive director Harriet Lamb.

In 2002 shoppers spent over £63m at the checkout on foods with the FAIRTRADE Mark. Nearly all major supermarkets and many independent stores are now including Fairtrade in their range. There are now nearly 98 companies and 300 catering suppliers offering over 200 Fairtrade foods. In 2002, sales of Fairtrade products across the 17 countries covered by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation grew by 90 per cent.

To attain Fairtrade status from the Fairtrade Foundation, a city must achieve the following five goals: