The Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP called into the Cooperative store in Castleford to meet with Cynthia Dickinson from Fairtrade Wakefield.

Cynthia Dickinson presents Fairtrade rice to Yvette Cooper.

Cynthia talked to Yvette about this year’s Fairtrade theme – go further for Fairtrade

Yvette was presented with a bag of delicious Fairtrade rice which she said she would look forward to eating with her husband, the Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls.

This Fairtrade Fortnight, Zaytoun Olive farmers, Manal Abdallah and Abu Rafat (AKA. Odeh), toured Yorkshire to talk about how Fairtrade has made a difference to their livelihoods.

Richard of Fairtrade Keighley, Manal and Odeh.

They brought with them some stunning images of 2,000-year-old olive trees and farming life in Palestine.

Fairtrade has made a huge difference to them – all exports from Palestine have to go through checks and transfers imposed by Israel, which rendered it extremely difficult to export until the Fairtrade movement stepped in to help trade to take place.

Now they can not only export olives and olive oil, but couscous, sun-dried tomatoes and other foodstuffs.

These are often produced by the women of a family, which improves their standing and also brings in a second source of income.

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The University of Leeds marked Fairtrade Fortnight with a special day of celebrations which included a Fairtrade and Craft Fair in the Parkinson Building.

Manal and Odeh, Zaytoun olive farmers from Palestine, visited the Fair and gave  a presentation.

Manal, Hilary (who sells Zaytoun products in the UK) and Odeh at the University of Leeds Fair.

The University of Leeds is proud of its Fairtrade University status.  Conferences and catering manager, Bev Kenny, goes out of her way to ensure that the university supplies Fairtrade products to its students, staff and visitors.

The university is an excellent example of a community coming together, to do what it can, to ensure that producers in poor countries get a fair deal.  So much so, that the University of Leeds was chosen by Fairtrade Yorkshire as our regional flagship employer.

York shoppers were treated to the soulful sounds of Access To Music students at the City’s annual Fair Trade Market on Friday 8th March.

The varied programme put together by the students sent shoppers feet tapping and a few hips swaying.

Margot Brown of Fairtrade York commented that the set was a great asset to the Market and raised many smiles on a day of cold, grey weather.  The students were true professionals and the show went on throughout the rain.

Find out more about Access to Music.  They have courses for those who want to work in the music industry, at several sites across the UK.

Twin Fairtrade towns Malton and Norton have enjoyed a successful Fairtrade Fortnight.  Alison Hardwick and her hardworking team of stalwarts have been joined by Guardian blogger, Janice Gwilliam.  Together they helped organise a Fair Trade craft fair at the Friends Meeting House in Greengate.  A wide range of Fairtrade crafts were on sale alongside crafts produced by local artists and craftsfolk.

Janice Gwilliam of Fairtrade Malton and Norton with Fairtrade Yorkshire’s Mark Dawson.

Mark Dawson, Coordinator of Fairtrade Yorkshire commented; “I am delighted that Fairtrade Malton and Norton are doing so well.  I was born in a village close to Malton, so I am always keen to hear about what is taking place in the area to help Fairtrade producers across the globe.”

For Fairtrade Fortnight this year Yorkshire will be playing host to Fair Trade producers from Palestine. Palestinian olive growers Manal Abdallah and Abu Rafat Odeh, will speak about the Fair Trade company Zaytoun.

Zaytoun is a British based community initiative aimed at enabling marginalised Palestinian olive farmers to access new markets by importing and distributing their products in the UK. In the groves of Palestine, Zaytoun’s producers grow and preserve olives and extract olive oil using traditional methods.

The olive growers face serious political and economic threats to their livelihoods; in the face of all the difficulties, Zaytoun strive to offer a sustainable future for their producers.

The farmers will be visiting schools in the Craven area and visiting the Fairtrade Fair at the University of Leeds.  There are also public events being held in Bradford, Keighley and York.

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Fairtrade Fortnight is from 25th February to 10th March and there will be thousands of events taking place across the region.  Do have a look at the diary of events on this site or check out the website of the nearest Fairtrade group to you.

The theme for this year is ‘Go further for Fairtrade.’

Starting in Fairtrade Fortnight this year it’s time go a little bit further for the food we love and the people who produce it.  Choose more Fairtrade products, pass on the message or get active for Fairtrade at school, work or in your community.

See how you can Go Further

To celebrate the first Fairtrade Fortnight for Yorkshire as the UK’s first ever Fairtrade Region, we have organised a competition for schools.  Check out the schools page on this web site and encourage your local school to take part.

Schools from across North Yorkshire came together for the annual Fairtrade in schools event organised by the Centre for Global Education and York Fair Trade Forum.  Pupils and teachers were able to meet Fairtrade activists and retailers and hear a key note speech from Amy Trumpeter of Kigali Crafts.  Amy’s business imports and retails fairly traded crafts and fashion accessories from Rwanda, a country still recovering from bitter civil war.

Pupils from Scarborough’s St. Martin Church of England School

The Sheriff of York was robed up and ready to present the Fairtrade in Yorkshire school awards, in recognition of those schools that have gone the extra mile in encouraging the use of Fairtrade products in school and in the wider community.  Some of the teachers present received Global Education awards from the Centre for Global Education, marking the  completion of a recognised training course. Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to all those who backed us – and to all those who’ve bought and supported Fairtrade anywhere in Yorkshire. But this is only the beginning – Fairtrade Yorkshire is a campaign, not an award!

Read on for pictures and videos from the day’s celebrations….
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Yorkshire will be declared as a Fairtrade Region on the 18th January.

The historic day will be marked by an afternoon celebration for schools, activists & retailers in Leeds & a formal declaration in the evening.  This will take place in York and will be attended by the Lord Mayor and the Archbishop of York.

Political figures from across the region will be supporting us, including the MP’s Hilary Benn, Greg Mulholland & Julian Sturdy & Linda McAvan MEP.

In the morning there will be a celebration in Ilkley, open to everyone:

Declaration of Yorkshire as the UK’s first Fairtrade Region:  Fairtrade Coffee Morning and Celebration

Join us to celebrate Yorkshire’s successful bid to be the UK’s first ever Fairtrade Region.

Everyone is welcome.  Free event.

When? Friday 18th January 2013, from 10am to 12 noon

Where? Riddings Hall, Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley

At 11am Bruce Crowther, the founding father of the Fairtrade Towns movement, will make a declaration speech.  There will also be music and the singing of our Yorkshire anthem ‘on Ilkley Moor Bar T’at.’

Do come along.

Event kindly sponsored by Coop Membership.