10th anniversary for Welsh Fair Trade Nation

History was made on June 6th 2008 when Wales was announced as the first ever Fair Trade Nation. This momentous occasion was reached after initial conception and two-years of work and campaigning by the grassroots movement the Wales Fair Trade Forum, with funding from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Wales Fair Trade Forum was founded by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Fair Dos, Oxfam, Tearfund, Together Creating Communities and Traidcraft. Fair Trade Nation milestones were decided between the Wales Fair Trade Forum and Scottish Fair Trade Forum, which were agreed by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government
Campaigning worked towards meeting these milestones and increase availability of Fair Trade products in towns, cities and counties through schools, businesses and other organisations to switch to Fair Trade.

Some of these milestones included:

Each county has its own active Fair trade group working towards the Fair trade status of that county and its cities. Also, that more than half of all Welsh towns should have active Fair trade groups working towards Fair trade status. In terms of achieving milestone of 75% of people know about Fair Trade in Wales, support and promotion of the Welsh Fair Trade Nation by the Welsh Assembly Government counted as an important, supporting milestone. Public education related to Fair Trade was further supported with milestones aiming towards a national spread of pledged, Fair Trade Schools and for 60% of HE institutions to have active Fair trade groups working towards Fair trade status.