Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership

Our latest newsletter - December 2024, vol. 2

Our latest newsletter is out! Newsletter 2 for December 2024 updates you on plans for Fairtrade Fortnight 2025, has information on Fairtrade Christmas gifts, and reports on the Newcastle March for Climate Justice on 16 November 2024. Click on the image below, or use this link: Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership Newsletter 2, December 2024

What's happening - Climate Justice March 16 November 2024

“Protesters from around the North East marched in Newcastle as world leaders battled over future policy at COP29 in Baku. And vital local and national battles were spelled out by speakers at Newcastle Civic Centre and the Climate Stalls event that followed.” This annual gathering from around the region was organised by North East Climate Justice Coalition, including Climate Action Newcastle, and we were proud to attend!  

We joined the march from Newcastle Civic Centre at 11am on Saturday 16 November 2024, marching along St Mary’s Place and Northumberland Street before finishing at St James’s URC church for the stalls and speakers. Louise Reeve and Ceri Finn from the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership Steering Group staffed our stall, promoting Fairtrade, inviting people to join us, and talking about the ways in which Fairtrade can help to tackle Climate Change. Here's a video!

Contact us to find out more here: fairtrade@newcastle.gov.uk and keep an eye on our Facebook page here: Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership Facebook.

The Newcastle Fairtrade Directory

And we've created our new Directory of where you can find Fairtrade products, and Fairtrade-supporting organisations (including charities, financial services, and places of worship) across the whole Newcastle upon Tyne area. We update it several times a year. 

The Newcastle upon Tyne Fairtrade Directory

If you'd like your organisation to be added to the directory, we'd love to do that! Contact us with this short form: Fairtrade in Newcastle 

Welcome Students!

We welcome all students to Newcastle. Below is a quick introduction to Fairtrade: 

Here's a bit more about Fairtrade for Universities and Colleges: Fairtrade Universities and Colleges

And here's where you can find Fairtrade on a budget: Where to find Fairtrade products on a budget

What is Fairtrade?

Supporting Fairtrade in Newcastle means supporting both farmers and workers overseas, and local businesses and organisations here in Newcastle who sell Fairtrade goods. It also helps tackle climate change by supporting producers in areas of the world affected by it to plant trees, protect soils, and diversify their crops, so that they can continue to farm and support their families. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world who produce products like coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, flowers, honey, or fruit. 

Fairtrade offers producers and farmers the Fairtrade Minimum Price, guaranteeing them a minimum price for the goods they sell as Fairtrade, even if the market price is lower. When the market price is higher than the Fairtrade Minimum Price, they will receive the higher market price. They also receive the Fairtrade Premium, which is an additional sum of money that goes into a communal fund for workers and farmers to use as they see fit to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.

With Fairtrade you have the power to change the world every day and support organisations across Newcastle. With simple shopping choices, you can get farmers and produces a better deal to help them adapt to crises, such as cost of living increases and climate change. That means they can make their own decisions, control their future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.

Newcastle is a Fairtrade City

When Newcastle became a Fairtrade City in 2003 we were one of the first cities in the country to achieve this, and we have kept up our status ever since. Here’s some more information about it from when we last renewed our Fairtrade City status in 2020: 

Fairtrade City status is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation, which is the UK member of Fairtrade International (FLO), which is the standard setting and certification organisation for Fairtrade. The Fairtrade Foundation has a wealth of information at www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership

In Newcastle the group that works to maintain our Fairtrade City status is known as the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership. Each member is responsible for the delivery of our Fairtrade Action Plan and for encouraging other individuals and organisations to participate in Fairtrade activities. The Partnership consists of organisations across Newcastle who sell or support Fairtrade, including Fairtrade schools and colleges, and places of worship. There is a Steering Group which works to support this, and to ensure we keep our Fairtrade City status. We are always looking for new members from Newcastle community groups and businesses who support Fairtrade. If you’d like to join us, please complete this short form: 

Join the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership and Directory

If you've got questions, email us at: fairtrade@newcastle.gov.uk or find us on Facebook here: Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership on Facebook 
We'll be organising meetings on an ad hoc basis throughout the year, and having discussions online via Teams and email. If you want to get involved, please email us or find us on Facebook!