Fairtrade News « Thurles Information

Fairtrade – Visit Gaelscoil Durlas Éile.

gaelscoildurlaseile Fairtrade is the people’s movement for change that aims to tip the balance of trade in favour of poor producers. Fairtrade is needed more than ever and we all have the power to create positive change for both people and planet.

Speaking at Gaelscoil Durlas Éile today to a large audience on the benefits of supporting Fairtrade, Dunstan Burke from Fairtrade Mark Ireland stated:-

“Two billion people – a third of humanity – still survive on less than $2 a day. Unfair trade keeps them in this poverty, but they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too”.

Pictured here are staff from Gaelscoil Durlas Éile with members of the Thurles Fairtrade Town Committee including Dunstan Burke from Fairtrade Mark Ireland and guest of honour John Nuwagaba, general manager from the Ankole coffee co-operative in Uganda.

The event was organised as part of the Thurles Fairtrade Fortnight Awareness 2009 campaign.

So come on folks, share in Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 and play your part by joining a powerful global movement for real change!

Busy Schedule Planned for Thurles – Ugandan Fairtrade Coffee Producer Visits This Week

fairtrf3

Thurles warmly welcomes Mr. John Nuwagaba, General Manager of the Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union Ltd (ACPCU) on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February as part of a 14-day tour of 17 Fairtrade Towns in Ireland during Fairtrade Fortnight, February 23rd – March 9th.

Mr Nuwagaba has a degree in economics and political science and a post graduate diploma in management. As the General Manager, Mr. Nuwugaba is responsible for the day to day running of the ACPCU co-op. The objectives of the ACPCU co-op include enabling members to have more control of their coffee business and increasing the income of the majority of farmers by adding value to the product.

The ACPCU co-op is located in the southwest of Uganda, which is the tenth largest coffee producing country in the world. 80% of the population (31m.) are involved in agriculture and the major exports are coffee, tea, tobacco, cotton and textiles. Life expectancy in Uganda is 50 years and the adult literacy rate is 67%.

During his visit to Thurles, Mr. Nuwagaba will talk to 400 school children at the Ursuline Convent Primary School and Gaelscoil Durlas Eile and explain to them how Fairtrade helps the lives of the Co-op’s 6,600 smallholder coffee growers. These schools are two of the fourteen schools in Thurles that are including Fairtrade materials in the 08/09 curriculum.

On the morning of Saturday 28th, Mr. Nuwagaba will visit the Thurles Farmers Market to meet the local growers and producers who sell their own food produce direct to the public. In the same way that Farmers’ Markets give local producers the opportunity to sell their goods directly to consumers, Fairtrade helps to establish more direct links between small producers in the developing world who are growing the foods that we eat every day and us, the consumer.

To mark the occasion of his visit and to celebrate that Farmers Markets in Ireland are in common cause with Fairtrade producers overseas, Mr. Nuwagaba will plant two Tipperary heritage apple trees in the grounds of Tipperary Institute.

During his four day visit to Tipperary, Mr. Nuwagaba will also visit the Farmers’ Markets in Cahir and Clonmel, give public talks in Roscrea, Nenagh, Tipperary Town and Carrick on Suir, meet the Fairtrade committee in Templemore and attend the celebrations in Cashel for achieving Fairtrade Town status.

Other Fairtrade events in Thurles include: A screening of the remarkable documentary ‘Black Gold-Wake Up and Smell the Coffee’ to business students in Tipperary Institute on Tuesday 24th February at 6.30pm; A guaranteed good night out at the annual Fairtrade Table Quiz in Skehan’s Liberty Square on Friday 6th March at 8.30pm. For further information and to book a table in the Quiz (Note €40 per team of 4) call our Secretary on 0504-26488.

THURLES – IRELAND’S MOST CREATIVE FAIRTRADE TOWN

What is the purpose of Fairtrade?

The purpose of a Fairtrade Town is to contribute to Fairtrade Mark Ireland’s aim in tackling poverty by enabling disadvantaged producers from poor countries to receive a better deal, through encouraging support for the FAIRTRADE Mark. In order to further this aim by becoming a Fairtrade Town, the following 6 goals, headlined hereunder, must be realised. When they are, a signed and dated certificate will be presented by Fairtrade Mark Ireland to the Town/City.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is the independent” guarantee that products carrying the ‘Mark’ have been produced according to internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.

Fairtrade Mark Ireland awards a consumer label, the FAIRTRADE Mark, to products which meet internationally recognised standards of Fairtrade. Supported by Amnesty International, Actionaid Ireland, Christian Aid, Comhlámh, Concern, Oxfam, Trócaire, War on Want Northern Ireland, and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, they are a small Third World charity based in Dublin. They are active throughout Ireland via their supporter network of dedicated volunteers, involved in the promotion of Fairtrade, the Fairtrade Towns project, and FAIRTRADE Mark products.

There are now 61 towns working around Ireland on Fairtrade Town campaigns. Of these, 31 towns & cities have been awarded status; Athlone, Ballymun, Bandon, Bantry, Belfast, Bray, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonakilty, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Greystones, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Limerick, Maynooth, Mullingar, Newry, Portlaoise, Thurles, Waterford, Westport, Wexford, Tubbercurry, Skibbereen, Baltinglass, Ennis, Newbridge, Roscommom, and Sligo.

Ireland’s Most Creative Fairtrade Town, Thurles, was awarded Ireland’s Most Creative Fairtrade Town in October 2007. The award was made by Michael Kit, Minister of State at the Dept of Foreign Affairs at a reception in Dublin Castle. In making the decision, Fairtrade Mark Ireland decided to select Thurles due to the number, variety and imaginative nature of the events run by the Thurles Fairtrade Town Committee. We were also close runners-up to Kinsale who won the overall award for Best Fairtrade Town.

Thurles Fairtrade Town Committee

Thurles was awarded Fairtrade Town status in December 2005 following an eighteen- month campaign supported by many volunteers. There are 9 members of the steering group, which is chaired by the current Mayor of Thurles. The steering group meets every two months and has adopted the following mission statement in June 2007 :

“The mission of the Thurles Fairtrade Town Committee is to promote Thurles as a Fairtrade Town, to promote awareness and understanding of Fairtrade principles and to encourage purchase of Fairtrade products. By organising a wide range of promotional activities throughout the year, the Committee offers information and encouragement in order to motivate schools, businesses, retailers, organisations and the general public to choose Fairtrade products.”

Fairtrade in Thurles Shops

Thirteen Thurles retailers stock over 40 Fairtrade brands and consumers can choose from a wide selection of Fairtrade products including 10 chocolate brands, 9 coffee brands, 6 tea brands, 6 brands of fruit juices, 3 brands of sugar plus a variety of bananas, pastas, jams, cocoa, biscuits and snacks. They can also buy Fairtrade Beans, Chutney, Curry Paste, Dried fruits, Flapjacks, Herbs, Ice cream, Muesli, Nuts, Spices and Sweets.

Fairtrade in Thurles Restaurants

Six catering outlets in Thurles serve Fairtrade coffee and tea exclusively: Hayes Hotel, St. Patrick’s College canteen, Tara Restaurant, The Runner Bean, Tipperary Institute canteen and the Topaz service station.

Fairtrade in Thurles Businesses

Dew Valley Foods Ltd is our flagship business since 2005 and they estimate that the staff drink 1500 cups of Fairtrade tea every week. Nine other businesses in town serve Fairtrade tea and coffee in their offices.

Fairtrade in Thurles Schools

The level of awareness amonst students in Thurles about Fairtrade issues is very high and the challenge is to find new angles and present new information. Five schools in Thurles support Fairtrade in the classroom and in the staff room. We correspond with teachers in all schools at the start of the academic year regarding opportunities to discuss how Fairtrade could be incorporated in the relevant SPHE, CSPE and Transition year classes as well as going through the criteria to become/remain a Fairtrade school. Where possible, we arrange a date to visit to the school to meet the various classes.

Fairtrade in the Local Media

Every two weeks there is an article in the Tipperary Star, which keeps the reader informed and up to date on local Fairtrade activities as well as national and international Fairtrade developments.

Tipperary – Irelands First Fairtrade County

Since Sept 2006 we have also initiated the Tipperary Fairtrade County Campaign, the goal of which is for Tipperary to become Ireland’s first Fairtrade County. The steering group is offering mentoring support to 9 other towns in North and South Tipperary to enable each of them to become Fairtrade Towns. As soon as Carrick-on-Suir, Cahir, Cashel, Cloughjordan, Clonmel, Nenagh, Roscrea, Templemore and Tipperary Town have achieved Fairtrade Town status, Tipperary will be declared a Fairtrade County!

Getting Involved

We welcome volunteers who can offer a few hours of their time every year to support Fairtrade in Thurles. For information on upcoming events please phone our Secretary on (0504) 26488 or email una.johnston@mementomori.ie.