Fairtrade Benefitting Caribbean, Latin American and African Farmers

BELFAST, Northern Ireland: The capital City of Northern Ireland “Belfast” unveiled its larger road signs on main routes, proclaiming Belfast’s status as a Fairtrade City and Borough. This initiative marks the ongoing commitment to developing world farmers, specifically from the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa.

These road signs highlight not only the accomplishments of the capital but the regional campaign to make Northern Ireland a Fairtrade devolved region. This regional campaign: www.northernirelandfairtrade.org is where central and local government, educational institutions, places of worship, businesses, workplaces, charities and larger civic society have pledged their commitment to support Fairtrade fulfilling the required criteria on a regional level, through procurement and purchase of Fairtrade products, for hospitality and meetings as a minimum.

Fairtrade global sales now exceed £4.4 billion, with approximately half of these sales coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland, directly benefitting developing world farmers and producers.

Dr Christopher Stange, Hon. Consul for St Vincent and the Grenadines to Northern Ireland and Secretariat of the Stormont Parliament All Party Group on Fairtrade said: “I am delighted to see these main route signs erected following on from the smaller version that were installed previously on the main arterial routes.

We are very close to making the declaration that Northern Ireland is a Fairtrade devolved region, demonstrating the solid commitment and united local action within Northern Ireland to the developing world internationally.”