Patrick Kaberia, Fairtrade tea farmer from Kenya and Patron of SAFT (Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns) joined us on the penultimate day of Fairtrade Fortnight to talk to a group of supporters interested in learning how we can ensure better prices and fairer trade terms for producers in the developing world who work hard to grow goods that we can’t, like tea, coffee, chocolate and bananas.

Celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight at the Harvest Fair on Saturday 14th September. We had lovely neighbours – Transition Woodbridge on one side and The Oak Tree farm on the other. It was a great event.

Fairtrade for Woodbridge are continuing their activities for Fairtrade Fortnight (9th – 22nd Sept) with a display in the library telling the story of how we can be the change to help farmers that grow some of the UK’s most loved food and drink products – including coffee, tea and chocolate. Many farmers are at risk from the impacts of unfair trade in the face of climate change.

       ‘Celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight at St Mary’s Shop on Market Hill’

       ‘Celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight at the Coop’

                         Fairtrade for Woodbridge will be present at the Harvest Fair organised by Transition Woodbridge on Saturday 14th September. Come and see what is happening between 10 and 4 in Woodbridge Community Hall.’ The Coop is helping to sponsor some of the Fairtrade refreshments.

Preparation for Fairtrade Fortnight!

9th -22nd September

We’ll have a stall at the Harvest Fair being organised by Transition Woodbridge in Woodbridge Community Hall on Saturday 14 September. Entry is FREE and there’ll be some of the area’s finest food and drink producers, refreshments, talks and short films, ambient music and children’s activities. Come and enjoy all the good things on offer.

Earth Day event in Whisstocks Place 20 April


We had a very good day yesterday in Whisstocks Place, taking part in the Local Food & Environment Fair organised by Transition Woodbridge and  Woodbridge Ambient Music to celebrate Earth Day – although we were almost blown away by the cold, cold wind! We spread the word about Fairtrade for Woodbridge, our raffle prizes were suitably tempting it was great to have St Mary’s Church Shop with their delicious range of Fairtrade food sharing the stall with us.

Come and visit us on the Fairtrade for Woodbridge stall at the Earth Day event on  20 April in Whisstocks Place 

Since Woodbridge was awarded FAIRTRADE COMMUNITY status on 29 June 2023 we’ve been making progress to encourage greater awareness of why it’s important to look for the FAIRTRADE logo 

If you are interested in helping please contact our co-ordinator – info@fairtradeforwoodbridge.org.uk

Fairtrade for Woodbridge were very happy that the Easter Egg Hunt prizes at the Tide Mill were Fairtrade Easter eggs – making sure producers receive a fair deal for their chocolate. Happy Easter . . . 



We are a small group – with big ambitions – to raise awareness of Fairtrade and encourage shops, catering establishments, businesses and individuals to sell and use Fairtrade products, knowing that in doing so, the people of Woodbridge are helping many in developing countries to work themselves out of poverty.

Woodbridge, Suffolk was first declared an official Fairtrade Town in 2008 and remained so until 2014. Over recent years we have been working to renew that status which is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation and are now eager to spread the word that we’ve finally made it happen!



Recent Events

Did you see us at the CHRISTMAS STREET FAIR on Sunday 3rd December? The weather was cold and soggy but it didn’t dampen our spirits! We had great Fairtrade food and drink prizes in our raffle.  

 

We were part of the Harvest Fair in Whisstocks Place on Saturday 7 October.

SAFT – Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns – hosted their annual conference at The Longshed in Whisstocks Place, in Woodbridge on Saturday 8 July. 

Woodbridge’s new status as a Fairtrade Community was enthusiastically welcomed and we gave an update of our progress so far to delegates representing eight other Suffolk towns – Leiston, Beccles, Framlingham, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds – who reported on what’s been happening for them in the past year.  The conference focused on sharing ideas for promoting Fairtrade – importantly Fairtrade Fortnight will be moved from February to September next year, 2024.  Mike Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation gave a hugely inspiring talk on “Fairtrade and the Future of Food”. 

About Us

Fairtrade For Woodbridge is a voluntary group of people living in the Woodbridge area in Suffolk. Its objectives are to increase awareness of Fairtrade and work to make Woodbridge a Fairtrade Community.  Fairtrade Community is an official title awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation to towns, cities, villages or boroughs that have met certain criteria regarding the use and awareness of Fairtrade. We are a member of the Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns (SAFT)www.suffolkfairtrade.org.uk

The Fairtrade Foundation first officially declared Woodbridge a Fairtrade Town on 23rd February 2008 and this status remained until 2014 when some of the key volunteers moved away from the area. Now, after almost ten years, a new voluntary group has come together and we’re delighted to say that as of 29 June 2023 we have regained the status of Fairtrade Community and over the coming months we’ll be promoting Fairtrade locally in various ways. These will include creating a list of local suppliers and celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight – the next event will be in September 2024.

Now that you have read about us, you may like to read more about the issues of trade justice and Fairtrade.  If so, please go to the Fairtrade Foundation’s Web site.



About Fairtrade

Fairtrade, as we know it today, has been around in the UK for almost 30 years. It is a system designed to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of millions  in developing countries around the world. Working with small scale producers who are vulnerable to injustices in the world’s conventional trading systems which can discriminate against the poorest, weakest producers, Fairtrade addresses the injustices by paying sustainable prices which give them a way to work themselves out of poverty. Buying Fairtrade products not only ensures that they receive a fair price for their goods –  there is also a ‘social premium’ which goes towards providing community facilities, such as clean drinking water.
Over the years the benefits of Fairtrade have improved thousands of communities, resulting in better working and living conditions, improved schools, wells, community projects and so on, all of which come about as a result of these producers being suitably rewarded for their hard work and expertise. Producers decide on projects democratically.

The Fairtrade system relies on people in coutries such as the UK buying products with the FAIRTRADE Mark on them. This label is a sign that the product bearing it has met stringent criteria to ensure the producers have been dealt with fairly.

For full details of how Fairtrade works, and the many ways it is improving lives every day, we suggest you go to the UK’s Fairtrade Foundation website.

This website will eventually help you find Fairtrade products in and around the Woodbridge area. We sincerely encourage you to buy Fairtrade products wherever you can. Fairtrade has grown hugely since its early beginnings, and the more people buy Fairtrade products, the more people it can help.

Fairtrade or fair trade or fairly traded?

You may notice that some products are called fair trade but do not carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. This is because some organisations, also called Alternative Trading Organisations (ATOs), are dedicated to trading fairly – and may have been doing so for many years – even before Fairtrade certification was initiated. You can find these organisations listed on the WFTO.com or BAFTS.org websites. For many of the products these organisations sell there may not yet be standards available because it takes a long time to agree new international Fairtrade standards.

However there are some other companies who refer to their products being ‘fair trade’ or ‘fairly traded’ without having them independently scrutinised and accessed as they would be if registered with the Fairtrade Foundation or were part of a recognised network like WFTO. Always look for the FAIRTRADE Mark if you want to be sure that farmers and workers are receiving the better deal offered by Fairtrade. 



Local Suppliers

In time we will produce a directory of all shops, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and other businesses in Woodbridge that sell or provide products bearing the Fairtrade Mark. We’ve started a list below –

  • East of England Co-op Supermarket – Hamblin Road
  • East of England Co-op Stores – Hasketon Road and Old Barrack Road
  • St Mary’s Church Shop, Market Hill
  • Oxfam, Thoroughfare
  • Les Chocolats Belges, Thoroughfare
  • Holland & Barrett, Thoroughfare
  • Grape Tree, Thoroughfare
  • Notcutts, Ipswich Road
  • Poppy’s Pantry, 4 The Sidings, Melton, Woodbridge

Do you sell or serve Fairtrade In Woodbridge?

We would love to see more shops, and cafes, in Woodbridge and Melton, serving Fairtrade products.  We hope that by seeing the positive publicity and goodwill that can be generated, more will come on board.  Why not ask your favourite café whether they serve Fairtrade tea and coffee and, if not, encourage them to do so.
If you are a retailer who is currently stocking Fairtrade products in Woodbridge, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to add you to the list we are currently putting together for this website. Similarly, if you own a shop or another business in Woodbridge and are thinking about stocking Fairtrade products, we will be happy to hear from you. Email us at info@fairtradeforwoodbridge.org.uk



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