Wellington City Council Votes to Become NZ’s First Fair Trade City

Supporters of the Make Wellington Fair Trade are delighted that Wellington City Council have voted unanimously to agree with the goal of becoming a Fair Trade City. This decision means that Wellington can now go ahead with applying for official recognition from the Fair Trade Association and the global Fair Trade Towns movement which already has 600 Fair Trade cities and towns worldwide including London, Brussels and San Francisco.

“Once again Wellington has shown itself to be a leader among New Zealand cities,” says Paul Barber from the Make Wellington Fair Trade initiative.

“Wellingtonians are showing that not only do they have a taste for great coffee and tea but that they also are concerned that the products they are using come from fairly traded sources..”We are grateful for the support of Mayor Kerry Prendergast, and the whole Council in agreeing to support the goal of being a Fair Trade City” says Barber.  “Special thanks also to Councillor Celia Wade Brown who has worked to keep this on the Council agenda.”

More than a thousand people signed an e-petition in support of Wellington becoming a Fair Trade City and there are already dozens of workplaces, community groups and churches signed up as using fair trade products. There are approximately   100 outlets selling fair trade products in Wellington with more emerging all the time.

Julia Campbell, Fair Trade Association Australia & New Zealand said today; “This huge step forward in the campaign to make Wellington a Fair Trade City is a testament to the local community coming together and making its voice heard.  It shows Wellington is a city that puts people, not profit, at the heart of their transactions.”

A voluntary steering group and a dedicated group of supporters have been working on the initiative and will continue to work with Wellington City Council in securing our position as New Zealand’s First Fair Trade City
 

The Fair Trade Association of Australia & New Zealand (FTAANZ) has set out the five goals required for a Council to be able to receive the Fair Trade City recognition award.

These five goals are:
1. Council resolution that states the council’s support for fair trade.
2. Fair Trade products are widely available in the region.
3. Fair Trade products are used widely in workplaces, schools, and community groups.
4. Media coverage of the city’s decision to support fair trade and to raise awareness.
5. Sets up a local steering group to monitor and support progress towards the goals.

What cities in the world are fair-trade?
• Fairtrade London - www.fairtradelondon.org.uk 
• Fairtrade Leuven
• Fairtrade Chicago - www.chicagofairtrade.org
• Wales the is the world's first Fair Trade country

Draft criteria for a "Fair Trade Nation" are:
• 75% of the population should purchase a Fair Trade product every year.
• 40% of people regularly buy Fair Trade products.
• All local authorities have active Fair Trade groups working towards Fairtrade status.
• 55 per cent local authority areas with Fair Trade status with 10% annual increase in following year.

Cities around the world are declaring their commitment to the Fair Trade Movement such as many in the US:
• Brattleboro, Vermont, June 2007
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 2007
• Amherst, Massachusetts, November 2007
• Taos, New Mexico, March, 2008
• Northampton, Massachusetts, April 2008
• San Francisco, May 2008
• Montclair, New Jersey, October 2008
• Ballston Spa, New York, January 2009
• Chicago, California, February 2009.

More info on progress:
• Online blog: http://fairtradewellington.wordpress.com to be directed to www.fairtradewellington.org.nz
• Campaigners on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1112852950656&comments=#/group.php?gid=71338485488&ref=ts
• Online petition: www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/e-petitions/ep/details/76
• Fair Trade websites: www.fairtrade.org.nz, http://ftf09.fairtrade.org.nz/about
• Big Action for Big Change: www.mybigaction.ning.com