Fairtrade Fortnight has been marked by a number of successful events across the Scottish Borders.
The nationwide campaign ran from Monday 26 February until Sunday 11 March and this focussed on how businesses, farmers, workers and shoppers can come together through Fairtrade to change this.
To mark the start of Fairtrade Fortnight John Lamont MP attended a celebratory event at Parliament. The event, sponsored by Co-op, gave parliamentarians the chance to show their support for Fairtrade, chat to supporters and campaigners and hear the stories of Fairtrade producers. The event was also attended by Fairtrade Ambassador Nick Hewer, famous for his roles on Countdown and The Apprentice.
John also attended an event in Melrose on Thursday 8th March where Earlston High pupils gave a presentation about the impact the Fairtrade movement was having on producers in developing countries. Melrose is a Fairtrade town, achieving the status in 2015.
On Friday 9th March, John paid a visit to Selkirk’s pop-up shop to hear about the local support they were receiving and to stock up on Fairtrade products. Selkirk achieved its Fairtrade Town status in 2012.
John Lamont MP said: “For a number of years the Scottish Borders has been at the forefront of the Fairtrade movement in Scotland and we now have three Fairtrade towns in Selkirk, Melrose and Peebles.
“I was pleased to be able to show my support for Fairtrade both in Westminster and at a number of events in the Scottish Borders.
“We can all continue to play a role in ensuring a fair deal for farmers and producers in developing nations simply by ensuring we buy Fairtrade wherever possible.”
On the Melrose event, John Lamont MP added: “I was really impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge of Fairtrade demonstrated by the Earlston High pupils. It goes to show the importance that young people will play to ensure that communities continue to support responsible trading in the future.”
After visiting Selkirk’s pop-up show, John Lamont MP said: “The team in Selkirk have led the way in the Borders in terms of supporting Fairtrade. As always, I was very impressed by the range of goods on offer and glad to see the hard work of local volunteers paying off.”