Briefing:Fairtrade Fortnight Campaign: Don’t make the world’s poor pay for Brexit From: benwest For attention of: All Party Members, All Party Officers Published: 5th February 2018 Last updated: 7th February 2018 Printed: 4th October 2024 Other formats: Print Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 runs from Monday, 26 February - Sunday, 11 March. We're launching a campaign to ensure the World's poorest don't lose out from Britain's post-Brexit trade deals. Here's how you and your local Party can get involved. Why fair trade matters As co-operators, fair trade is in our DNA. From campaigns against slave-produced sugar in the 19th century, to becoming the UK’s earliest (and still one of the largest) retailers of Fairtrade products like coffee and sugar, we know that the choices we make as consumers can change lives. This Fairtrade Fortnight, we’re launching a campaign to ensure that the work we’ve done to Make Trade Fair is protected and strengthened in the trade deals Britain makes after leaving the EU. Learn more About the campaign Over the next few years, Britain’s trading relationship with the World will fundamentally change. As we leave the EU, new trade deals will need to be negotiated, and rules re-written. For more than two decades, our movement has campaigned to Make Trade Fair. As this happens, it’s vital that we safeguard all we’ve achieved. Help us ensure that our new trading relationship with the world doesn’t come at the expense of people in the world’s poorest countries. Read Fairtrade Foundation Briefing What we're calling for Join us on calling on International Trade Secretary Liam Fox to Put in place trade rules that allow the poorest countries to import their produce into the UK tariff-free, without forcing them to do the same for ours. Make it easier for farmers in developing countries to process and package their produce themselves, increasing the value of their exports Guarantee that new trade deals will incorporate existing commitments and standards on the environment, human rights, and Sustainable Development Goals. Increase transparency by giving Parliament the right to scrutinise the final terms of new trade deals as they are negotiated What we're asking you to do As a member or officer, it’s your hard work that will ensure our campaign reaches far and wide, and that year’s Fairtrade Fortnight is a success. Here are some ideas of things you can do to help: Get your Constituency Labour Party (CLP) to pass a motion supporting the campaign Passing a motion is a great way to raise wider awareness of an issue among those outside of your immediate Co-operative Party branch. You can download and print a template motion below, which contains some example language you may wish to include. If you’re a councillor, this template could also be used as the basis for a motion to be passed in council. Example CLP Motion: Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 Ask local Labour members to sign the petition Download and print the sign-up sheet below to help collect names for the petition the Co-operative Party is running on this issue. A petition is a great way to start conversations with people locally who aren’t currently involved in the Co-operative Party, and helps the Party grow its list of supporters who we can mobilise as future members and campaigners. Petition Signup Sheet: Don’t make the world’s poor pay for Brexit Action Points Pass the motionPass a motion supporting Fairtrade Fortnight at the next meeting of your CLP or council (More) Download the petitionDownload and print the petition for members of your local CLP and wider community to sign. (More) Let us know about any Fairtrade Fortnight events happening locallyFill in our events form so we can list them on the Party website (More) For more information For more information about this campaign, contact John Boyle Party Support and Principle Six Officer Resources Example CLP Motion: Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 Petition Signup Sheet: Don’t make the world’s poor pay for Brexit Fairtrade Foundation - Brexit, Time to Make Trade Fair Briefing Order Fairtrade Fortnight Materials