| Facts | As well as the council, there are many other organisations committed to helping Leeds maintain its Fairtrade city status, including the universities, charities and faith organisations. The goals of a Fairtrade City are set down by the Fairtrade Foundation:
1. The local council must pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices and canteens.
2. A range of Fairtrade products must be readily available in the area's shops and served in local cafes and catering establishments (targets are set in relation to population).
3. Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local work places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community organisations (churches, schools etc).
4. The council must attract popular support for the campaign.
5. A local Fairtrade steering group must be convened to ensure continued commitment to Fairtrade City status. |
The council uses Fairtrade products and encourages businesses and individuals in the city to actively support the initiative. Councillor Mark Harris, executive member for corporate and central functions says: "We were fairly early in doing this compared to most cities. We are currently the biggest city in Britain supporting Fairtrade. "What it means is we support this principal that farmers in the third world should be allowed to get a decent price for the produce that they grow."  | | Do you buy Fairtrade coffee? |
An audit is currently being carried out by volunteers to discover what difference has been made in the past year. One part of this looks at the Fairtrade range stocked in Leeds' supermarkets. Adrian Strain, Head of International Relations at Leeds City Council, explains: "It's all very well raising awareness and telling people, but we need to know that the message has got through. When the results of the audit have come through we’ll know how much progress has been made. "Obviously the supermarkets are market sensitive and they're stocking fair-trade goods according to public demand, and if public demand for Fairtrade goods increases then they will sell more volume and a broader range." However, it can be difficult to persuade businesses to adopt Fairtrade practice, as the prices are usually higher. Adrian says: "If you're measuring things in price alone, then Fairtrade produce is going to face some challenges. I think increasingly the public, and business sensitive to public demand, is aware that there are other factors than price to take into account. "The sustainability of those markets, particularly in the developing world, and the relationships that we build in the longer term in the developing world are just as important as a penny or two off the price of a cup of coffee." To celebrate one year of Leeds becoming a Fairtrade city, the council is organising two events. A Fairtrade Business Forum takes place on Wednesday 2 March, 6-8pm, at Civic Hall. This is an opportunity for local businesses to meet suppliers of Fairtrade goods and hear from an Ethiopian Fairtrade producer. Leeds Fairtrade Fiesta is on Saturday 5 March, 1-4pm, at West Yorkshire Playhouse. There will be theatre, painting, a quiz, dancing and music, plus a chance to find out more about Fairtrade and how we can all play our part. | 
