Over hundred people attended tonight’s debate chaired by George Alagiah, the leading BBC broadcaster, who hosted an all party panel debate in the Martlets Hall on the subject of Fairtrade and trade justice.  The discussion ranged from the benefits of being able to ensure third world producers get an equitable price for their products, to the power of the supermarkets and ensuring likewise that food producers in the UK are also treated fairly.  Participants included Serena Tierney, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Campaigner for Mid Sussex constituency.

Liberal Democrats nationally have called for Gordon Brown to make greater use of Fairtrade products in government departments, and for the UK to take the lead in international development by making London 2012 a “Fair trade Olympics”.

The Fairtrade mark gives an important guarantee that the food and clothes that we buy are produced in a way that doesn’t harm the communities we are trading with, and is linked to sustainability because the small farmers it helps are often those pursuing the most sustainable methods of production. We need to make sure that Fairtrade Fortnight isn’t an isolated event, and that people keep buying fair trade products even when these events are over.

Locally Burgess Hill has been a fair trade town since 2006 and was overall winner of the 2009 fair trade fortnight events – see http://www.fairtradeburgesshill.ik.com/  and make your pledge to swop something you buy for a fair trade product at http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/thebigswap/.  See the full programme for the fortnight in the article dated February 6th below.