A view from Mark Isherwood – Welsh Conservative North Wales Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited the four North Wales Members of the Senedd to write a monthly column with updates on their work. You can find their updates – along with contributions from the Wrexham and Clwyd South MPs and MSs – here. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In his monthly column for Wrexham.com, Welsh Conservative MS Mark Isherwood writes..

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers around the world, but particularly in lower income countries.

By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the producers from low-income countries. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

Last month marked Wales’s fifteenth Anniversary as a Fair Trade Nation and I was pleased to attend the Fair Trade Nation anniversary celebration in the Senedd, at which I met some Fair Trade supporters from around Wales, watched a live performance from a school, heard from Fair Trade Wales and Welsh Government on the past and future plans for Fair Trade, and enjoyed some Fair Trade refreshements.

The original Fair Trade Nation campaign was a grassroots movement with many schools, towns, counties and businesses across Wales committing to Fair Trade principles and procurement. It could not have been achieved without the enthusiasm and commitment of people from every region in Wales.

Wrexham played an instrumental role in kick starting the Fair Trade movement in Wales, and responding to a Statement in the Senedd on Wales’s fifteenth Anniversary as a Fair Trade Nation, I made reference to this. I thanked and celebrated the work that was carried out by TCC – Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru; Together Creating Communities – based in Wrexham, who campaigned for Wrexham to become the first Fair Trade County in the World in 2003.

I said: “Well, you mention Ammanford becoming Wales’s first Fair Trade town in 2002, and Cardiff becoming the first Fair Trade Capital City in 2004, but, of course, Wrexham became the First Fair Trade County in the World in 2003.

“So, will you join me in thanking, and celebrating the work that was carried out by, TCC – Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru; Together Creating Communities – based in Wrexham, but working throughout north-east Wales, who campaigned for that first Wrexham Fair Trade County status, who brought together the Fair Trade Coalition, who brought together the different parts of the community to sign the Fair Trade Charter there, and who then established Fair Trade Coalitions in other Counties across North Wales and beyond and got the Charters together and brought together the various agencies to sign them?

“I signed many of those with great pleasure and commitment myself also, and I think their work was a huge, core, central contributory factor to Wales becoming the first Fair Trade Nation in 2008.”

Although Wales is a small nation, it is important that we play our part in creating a better world – at home and further afield.

Ten years after Wales became a Fair Trade Nation, in 2018, Fair Trade Wales did a review into Wales as a Fair Trade Nation, and the research clearly showed that people wanted Wales to continue being a Fair Trade Nation, and that more places internationally are interested in the work going on here in Wales.

Wales has come a long way in 15 years and most shops now sell some Fairtrade products. Your local shop or Farmers Market may also stock at least a few items including tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate and fruit.

Look for the Fairtrade Mark or WFTO Guarantee. It’s always worth asking if you can’t find something – as the shop may be able to order it for you.

I welcome the fact that so many residents, schools, communities and businesses in North Wales support Fairtrade’s mission to make trade fair and are committed to using Fairtrade products where they can, and I encourage all those who don’t already shop Fairtrade to start supporting products that help farmers across the globe fighting for better working conditions and a fair deal for their produce.