In 2008, Youghal was awarded Fair Trade Town status in recognition of its commitment to supporting producers in the developing countries.  To maintain fairtrade status Youghal must meet the renewal criteria every two years.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

In the coming weeks the committee will be writing to existing fairtrade businesses to remind them of their fairtrade commitments e.g. stocking at least two fairtrade products.

The committee wants to thank all the businesses, retailers, and shoppers in Youghal for their commitment to fairtrade.  We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Youghal Town Council for all their support to date.

The committee would like to hear from new businesses / retailers who would support fairtrade by selling their products.

When we sell or consume fairtrade products we guarantee a better deal to developing countries.  It strengthens their hand in trading relationships so they can earn a better living and have access to education and health care.

The committee would welcome new members who are interested in promoting fairtrade. For further information on fairtrade contact Stacey at Cumann Na Daoine, Catherine Street, Youghal. Tel 024-91900.

Launch of Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 (February 22nd-March 7th)

Fair-trade representatives visited Gael Scoil Chorain, Pobal Scoil Na Trionoide and Youghal Library today (Thur. 25th Feb. 2010) to launch the Fair- trade fortnight in Youghal.
Photo: B. Murphy YoughalOnline.com

Make A Difference: Make The Big Swap

‘THE BIG SWAP’ is the theme for Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, which will also highlight the continued growth in Fairtrade sales and support in Ireland.

“The Big Swap is all about encouraging people to swap some of their usual purchases – tea, coffee, chocolate and bananas for example – for a Fairtrade Certified product,” says Peter Gaynor, Executive Director, Fairtarde Mark Ireland.

“Thousands of Irish consumers have already made the big swap; regularly switching some of their spending to Fairtrade products and in doing so making a real difference to the lives of producers in developing countries.”

The proof of this is in retail sales of FAIRTRADE Mark products in Ireland which increased by estimated 27% in 2009 to €118million – and expected to grow further in 2010.

“We expect Fairtrade sales to grow again in 2010,” says Gaynor. “In the last few months, and again this week, some of the best known brands in Ireland have announced they are switching over to Fairtrade.”

In recent months, significant conversions to Fairtrade have been announced by Cadbury Ireland and Nestlé.  And this week, Ben & Jerry Ice Cream announced that it will complete the global conversion of its entire product range to Fairtrade ingredients by 2013.

“The big manufacturers are realising that Fairtrade is also good for business,” says Peter Gaynor. “It’s also important to acknowledge that Fairtrade’s growth in this country is a testimony to the work of our volunteers – they believed in Fairtrade when it was perceived as a worthy but unrealistic niche business.”

Volunteers have driven the Fairtrade Towns and Schools initiatives and 45 towns and cities north and south, including Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Galway, are now certified Fairtrade Towns. Three more – Tuam, Tipperary and Carrick-on-Suir – will be Fairtrade-certified in the next fortnight.  An additional 29 towns are working towards Fairtrade Town status.

These towns will be hosting their own Fairtrade Fortnight events over the next two weeks and some other Fairtrade Fortnight highlights include:

·         Appearances by Fairtrade ‘ambassadrice’ Stefan Steverink, aka Dutch housewife ‘Gerri’

·         Bewley’s ‘The Big Swap Wall” campaign – customers are invited to sign their support for Fairtrade on a wall at Bewley’s Grafton Street shop. For each signature received, the company will donate €1 directly to a Nicaraguan coffee co-operative

·         Oxfam’s nationwide swap-a-cuppa campaign

Three overseas producers will also be touring the country during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 to share their first hand experience of the difference that Fairtrade’s support has made for their families and communities. They are:

* Hella Alikuru: Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Hella is the Africa Region Coordinator for the International Union of Food & Agricultural Workers (IUF)

* Josephat Sylvand: Josephat is a coffee producer and the Assistant Export Manager of Kagera Co-operative Union Ltd (KCU Ltd) in Tanzania

* Oscar González: Oscar is the communications director for the Coomprocom coffee co-operative in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

Cocoa farmers from Ghana, Africa Paul Ayepah and Kojo Aduhene with seated Hannah Benaim and Ciara O’Connor and standing Megan Mulcahy and Deirdre O’Grady representing St. Aloysius School, Carrigtwohill at the recent Fair Trade Exhibition held at the Quality Hotel

Youghal Library in association with Youghal Community Development Group, will show a promotional DVD presentation on Fair Trade and the benefits to communities and individuals of supporting same, at the Library on Thursday, the 24th of July 2008 at 7pm. All are welcome to attend. It should be a very interesting presentation as Youghal intends to be a Fair Trade Town, and the DVD will demonstrate how Read more