The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones launched Fair Trade Wales’ Final Push 4 Fair Trade Counties campaign at The National Eisteddfod in Blaenau Gwent on Wednesday.
82% of the counties in Wales currently have Fair Trade status and the campaign, run by Fair Trade Wales, aims to secure the prestigious status for the remaining counties.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“I am pleased to be launching the Final Push 4 Fair Trade Counties campaign.
“I was very proud to celebrate Wales’ second anniversary as the world’s only Fair Trade Nation earlier this year and I hope that now we can achieve 100% of Welsh counties with Fair Trade status.
“This could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of the many volunteers and campaigners from across Wales.”
In order to become a Fair Trade County, there should be a demonstrable understanding and awareness of Fair Trade in the local community, Fair Trade products should be widely available and a commitment will have been made to increasing sales and awareness further still through promotional and educational activities.
Elen Jones, the National Co-ordinator for Fair Trade Wales said:
‘We are honoured that the First Minister of Wales agreed to launch our campaign.
Wales continues to show that as a nation it understands and cares deeply for the lives of the workers in developing countries who produce our everyday luxuries. Who better than the First Minister of Wales to launch this campaign?’
The First Minister of Wales also presented the Bridgend County Fairtrade Partnership from his constituency with a certificate for becoming the newest Fair Trade County.
Richard Lewis, coordinator for the Bridgend County Fairtrade Partnership, said: “We are really pleased that we’ve managed to achieve this for Bridgend County. It’s taken a long time to get all this information together and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped to make this a reality. I hope that we can get all counties in Wales to get Fairtrade status.”
