Abingdon Fairtrade group

News / Events

In The News

From the Abingdon Herald Thursday 8th Mar 2007.

ABINGDON has been granted Fairtrade status.

Mellie Ferrier, landlady at the Broad Face pub-restaurant and leading member of the Abingdon Fairtrade Group, said there was an increasing demand for fairly-traded products in shops and supermarkets.

She said: "To qualify for Fairtrade status Abingdon had to show that a range of Fairtrade products is readily available in the shops.

"Products have to be served in a proportion of the restaurants, cafés and other catering establishments."

Abingdon Fairtrade Group, under the umbrella of the Abingdon Chamber of Commerce, was set up three years ago to work towards achieving Fairtrade status.
 From Diocese of Oxford Reporter - Friday 2nd March 2007

It's official! Abingdon is a Fairtrade Town.

Retailers and traders in the Oxfordshire town can be proud of their new status, which, among other criteria, applauds the wide use of fairly traded products sold or offered to customers.

Chris Caddy, treasurer of the steering committee, The Abingdon Fair Trade Group, told the DOOR: ‘The idea started four years ago at the Abingdon Forum, organised by the Vale of the White Horse District Council. It was agreed that achieving Fairtrade status would be a boost in re-vitalising the town centre.

‘We found that many establishments already sold or offered Fairtrade products, so that was a good start.’

From the Abingdon Herald Thursday 9th Aug 2004.

'Fairtrade' campaign for town launched

A campaign has been launched in Abingdon to get more businesses, organisations and members of the public to buy Fairtrade products.

The town's Chamber of Commerce has set up a group with the long-term aim of winning Fairtrade status.

A Fairtrade town is a community which has made a commitment to buy Fairtrade products when possible. Fairtrade products are designed to offer more equitable returns for farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

More than 100 products now carry the Fairtrade mark, including coffee, tea, bananas, chocolates, cocoa powder, nuts, dried fruits, fruit juices, sugar and honey.

Oxford and Faringdon already have Fairtrade status.

Mellie Ferrier, landlady of Abingdon's Broad Face pub, who chairs the new group, said: "Our ultimate objective will be working towards getting Fairtrade town status for Abingdon. We want to encourage business in surrounding villages to join us in our campaign to get a fair deal for producers in poor countries."