On 22nd October 2007, Sunderland received recognition as a Fairtrade City, the 300th town or city in the UK to achieve this status, as part of its commitment to a better future for all.

Where to buy Fairtrade products in Sunderland

Register your Fairtrade outlet with us

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The Fairtrade system allows producers and suppliers of everything from coffee to cotton in developing countries to sell their products at prices which are fair to them and which enable them to feed their families and invest in basic necessities such as safe water supplies, sanitation and healthcare.

The criteria for achieving Fairtrade city status are set down by the Fairtrade Foundation, and Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Partnership have lead the process that helped the city achieve Fairtrade status.

Councillor Dave Allan, chair of the committee working on the Fairtrade project, said: “Fairtrade is sometimes mistaken as a trendy idea supported by only a small number of people, but it’s actually a tried and tested way for people in developing countries to make a living and to be self-sufficient.

To secure Fairtrade city status, the Sunderland Partnership has met a number of criteria and targets. These include:

• The City Council passing a resolution in support of Fairtrade and serving Fairtrade coffee and
  tea at meetings and in its offices
• Demonstrating that a certain number of local shops and cafés offer Fairtrade products to their customers
• Showing that a wide range of local businesses also use Fairtrade produce in their workplaces
• Generating media coverage to promote the campaign and its aims.

Canon Stephen Taylor, Chair of Sunderland Partnership, said: “It’s not that difficult for businesses to rethink how they buy things like tea and coffee for their staff and to purchase Fairtrade products instead. Achieving Fairtrade city status has helped raise the profile of the issues involved, namely creating a world that is sustainable economically and environmentally for all of us, no matter where we live. I am sure that as Fairtrade city status generates more coverage and discussion, more people in the city will change their buying habits and help people in developing countries to tackle poverty in their own way.” Sunderland is already at the forefront of a Fairtrade consumer revolution that has recently seen major supermarket chains stocking more and more Fairtrade goods.

Karen Hetherington, FM Food’s Project Manager, said: “There is a growing market for Fairtrade products and consumer demand has now led multinational companies to take it very seriously. Fairtrade will be a major market in the future and it’s great that Sunderland is getting involved. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for Fairtrade in the city and securing Fairtrade city status should hopefully help bring people together to achieve even more.”

Fairtrade products

There are over 1500 Fairtrade certified products in the UK. Some of these are listed below. To find out more about Fairtrade products, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk or call the Fairtrade Foundation on 0207 405 5942.

To become a Fairtrade city we have to find out where Fairtrade products are sold.

• Does your business sell Fairtrade products?
• Are you someone who buys Fairtrade products?

 If so please, please download our questionnaire ( 29kb), and return to the address listed, or call 0191 553 1476. We will include new outlets on the website, and if you are a business, we cab help promote your services.

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