Trowbridge Town Council has renewed its commitment to Fairtrade products.
A selection of products were laid out for the public to sample at an event at Trowbridge Civic Centre last March 3 to mark the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight.
Among these essentials were tea, coffee and chocolate showing the quality and diversity of produce.
Opening the event, the Mayor of Trowbridge, Cllr Graham Hill, said: “What I think is important about Fairtrade is just that, fairness.
“Workers providing our luxuries receiving a fair opportunity to realise a fair share of the profits from those goods.
“I hate to think that coffee could be seen as a luxury, given my own consumption, but coffee, tea and chocolate are three areas in which the huge revenues generated barely reach those who actually do the work.
“What fair trade does is to ensure that the expertise and hard graft of the expert producers is properly rewarded and that their goods reach our markets with at least some of the profit sticking to the fingers of the producers.
“Fairtrade is the opportunity for us to support them and to allow the revenue to trickle down into schools, hospitals and sustainable businesses to benefit those who raise and harvest the crops on which we depend.”
Further events in the coming week to mark Fairtrade include an opportunity to sample and purchase a selection of Fairtrade goods from Queens Club Gardens in Broadmead on Saturday, March 11 at the home of the chair of the Fairtrade Association. The house will festooned with Fairtrade banners.
Lyndsey Wright, chair of Fairtrade Trowbridge, said: “It is fantastic to see Trowbridge Town Council reiterate their support to Fair Trade and we as a group were very pleased to be given the opportunity to use part of the Civic Centre to promote Fair Trade.
“Currently, there are 1.7 million farmers and workers across 73 countries that benefit from fair trade - it changes lives.
“The slogan at the moment is “Choose the world you want, Choose Fairtrade”. I am so pleased that Trowbridge Town Council want to a part of that.”
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