, Minister for Social Justice
and Chief Whip: Today, more than 100 people will celebrate
the excellent work, which has been jointly delivered between
organisations in Wales and Africa.
Hub Cymru Africa organised this celebration in the Senedd
to bring this community of people and organisations
together, to exchange and share valuable learning and
experiences, making the Wales-Africa partnerships such a success.
Fair Trade Wales is an important part of the Hub Cymru Africa
partnership. Wales became the first Fair Trade Nation in the
world in 2008. Over the last 12 months, Fair Trade Wales has
worked with stakeholders, the Welsh Government, Fair Trade
Scotland and the Scottish Government to refresh the Fair Trade
Nation criteria to reflect the many changes in the world.
The refreshed criteria determines that a Fair Trade Nation is one
where:
- There is widespread awareness of fair trade
- There is significant engagement with fair trade across
different sectors of society
- There is consumption and production of FAIRTRADE products
- There is political support and engagement with fair trade
- Inequalities in global trade and society are challenged by
fair trade.
We will now be measuring levels of awareness, engagement with
campaigns, consumption and production of FAIRTRADE goods,
political engagement with the issue and engagement with wider
trade justice issues to better reflect a world which has changed
so much since 2008.
In Wales, we believe in equality for everyone, that everyone has
fundamental human rights, at home and abroad. Fair trade is vital
to this belief, as it recognises that we want to work with
producers and people in supply chains as equals to create
partnerships with. This is why we continue to promote and
support the Fair Trade agenda by supporting work with Fair Trade
Wales, and also by working with coffee farmers in the Mount Elgon
area of Uganda through the Jenipher’s Coffi project.
The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires us to
demonstrate how to be a globally responsible nation, and Fair
Trade is a substantial example of how we do this. It is not just
about government action, but also about individuals and groups
making choices and raising awareness about Fair Trade.
