What is a Fairtrade City?

A Fairtrade City (or Town, Village, Borough...) is a place where a network of people and organisations have got together to promote Fairtrade through events, publicity and persuasion. As in most places, in Bristol the Fairtrade Network is a partnership of community and faith groups, campaigning organisations, schools, businesses selling or supplying Fairtrade products locally, and the local council.

There are five goals to achieve before the award of Fairtrade City status:

Goal 1 : Local Council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and agrees to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in its offices and canteens.

Bristol was way ahead of the competition on this goal, having passed a Fairtrade resolution in 1997! This was thanks to work with the Bristol North South Forum. Bristol City Council officers continue to publicise Fairtrade to their colleagues and are constantly looking for new ways to make it available across the organisation. In 2005 the Council approved a new Code of Practice on sustainable procurement, which specifically mentions Fairtrade.

Goal 2: A range of Fairtrade products are readily available in the area's shops, and local cafes / catering establishments.

A Fairtrade City must have a certain number of cafes and shops that sell at least two FAIRTRADE Mark products, calculated according to its population size. In Bristol when we achieved Fairtrade City status in March 2005, our total stood at 60 shops against a target of 40, and 26 cafes against a target of 20 (and more selling just one Fairtrade product). We also ticked extra boxes by producing the first Bristol Fairtrade Directory in 2005, now updated in 2006 and online.

Goal 3: Fairtrade products are used by a number of local work places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community organisations (churches, schools etc)

We did really well on this in Bristol, with around thirty organisations and workplaces committing to serve Fairtrade tea and coffee for their staff and / or visitors. Bristol Water, Lyons Davidson and DAS Insurance Services all attended the launch of Bristol's Fairtrade City status as 'key employers'. See 'Fairtrade for Business' for a full list of local workplaces and community organisations who put their money where their mouth is on Fairtrade.

Goal 4: Attract media coverage and popular support for the campaign.

Every year in Bristol organisations such as Oxfam, Traidcraft and Christian Aid, as well as shops and cafes, organise publicity and events in Fairtrade Fortnight. In 2005 we achieved a competition feature, a seven-page spread on the local campaign and a two-page feature on Rwanda in the Bristol Evening Post as well as lots of other press and radio coverage during Fairtrade Fortnight.

Goal 5: A local Fairtrade steering group is convened to ensure continued commitment to its Fairtrade Town status.

In Bristol a steering group started meeting in October 2003 to work on making Bristol a Fairtrade City. In 2004 it was constituted as the Bristol Fairtrade Network. There are representatives from the following groups in the Network: Bristol City Council; Oxfam South West; Bishopston Trading Company; Bristol Oxfam Group; Bristol University Fairtrade Society; Chartered Institute of Marketing; Christian Aid South West; ; equop; ESRC and AHRC 'Cultures of Consumption' programme at Bristol University; University of the West of England Chaplaincy; Traidcraft; Triodos Bank. If you would like to get in touch with the Network, go to 'Contact Us' on the main menu.