Cllr Gill Mitchell

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Fairtrade Foundation the Local Labour Group are encouraging shoppers in Brighton and Hove to buy Fairtrade cosmetics and toiletries.  Councillors Gill Mitchell and Melanie Davis will also be putting forward a motion to the next full council asking that more items sold and used in council buildings be Fairtrade.
 
Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Gill Mitchell welcomed the Government’s support of the Fairtrade movement and urged people in Brighton and Hove to buy Fair Trade products when they can.
 
Cllr Mitchell said:
“Labour made Brighton the first Fairtrade Town in the UK over 10 years ago, but we must continue to fight for ethical trading.  During this global economic downturn, it is vital that world trade continues. With 7 out of 10 households buying Fairtrade products our shopping habits can make a real difference to the world’s poorest people. Fairtrade helps support 7.5 million people in the developing world.  By buying food, gifts and now cosmetics from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.  This Council should be leading the way by making more Fairtrade products available to buy and use in Council buildings.”
 
People will now be able to buy 57 products with Fairtrade certified ingredients, including lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels. Local shops like Boots, Neal’s Yard and Lush will stock the products.
 
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation said:
“More than 7.5 million people – farmers, workers and their families – across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system. The Fairtrade Mark is recognised by 70% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal.
 
"Each product will contain one or more Fairtrade certified ingredient such as cocoa butter, shea nut butter, sugar or brazil nut oil, benefiting disadvantaged producers from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America .”
 
 Ms Nana Yago, a Fairtrade shea nut producer from Burkina Faso said:
"When we work together, we can help many people out of poverty. Most importantly, Fairtrade enables us to help ourselves and to support each other. The premium allows us to offer training courses to the women in our group. They learn to write and can see how important it is to have their independence in life. The status of women in our society has now increased.”

For more information about Fairtrade view:
www.fairtrade.org.uk

For more information about Labour view:
www.brightonhovelabour.com