Northern Ireland achieves Fairtrade status

Northern Ireland has become a Fairtrade devolved region after achieving its criteria and main targets of having all its five cities and six of its 11 councils attaining Fairtrade status.

The five remaining councils are currently working towards the Fairtrade status. Central government, higher education institutions, schools, places of worship, businesses and workplaces have also played their vital part in the campaign with many having achieved Fairtrade accreditation.

Fairtrade is a trading partnership between developing country producers and developed country consumers. A significant amount of the products we buy are grown or produced by farmers in the developing world, who are not paid a fair price for their work and forced into poverty.

Dr Christopher Stange, a Northern Ireland businessman and chairman of Fairtrade Belfast, says: "Fairtrade was established as a mechanism to ensure developing world farmers are provided a guaranteed minimum price that covers sustainable production and the ability to trade in global markets without exploitation. Achieving this status is a tremendous boost for Northern Ireland and its developing commitment to fairtrade."

Fairtrade - the certification mark provided by the UK Fairtrade Foundation or Fairtrade Ireland to products and buyers to verify full transparency of the entire process from origin to store shelf and international Fairtrade standards are met.

The Fairtrade mark is unique in its primary objective to tackle poverty and achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. It is considered the gold standard of ethical labelling with 50 per cent of Fairtrade owned by the producers.

Belfast became the first Fairtrade city in Northern Ireland in 2005 following an extensive campaign. The following year Northern Ireland's Department of Finance and Personnel produced a guide for fairtrade procurement. Other cities, towns, villages and councils have followed. Both universities also support fairtrade, which has also been endorsed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.