Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 17 March 2022
I thank Clare Adamson for lodging the motion for debate and wish her a speedy recovery.
Many of us will have seen the Fairtrade logo in shops, often on coffee, chocolate or bananas, but, beyond recognising the Fairtrade sticker, I do not think that many of us know what fair trade is, what it means and what role it can play in our future. That is why, for the past couple of weeks, I have been learning about fair trade businesses in Ayrshire. The Honeybee and the Hare café in Ayr, for example, is a small, independent café that provides high-quality artisan coffee, hand-made food, art works and gifts. I have learned a lot about the sustainable supply chain and sustainable products, which has helped me to put fair trade business into perspective. The owners explained that fair trade means workers’ rights, fairer pay, safer working conditions and sustainability, while for shoppers, it means quality and ethically produced goods for a fair wage.
To learn more about fair trade in Scotland, I have been communicating with the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to understand its approach, its activities and how it is bringing together fair trade groups, businesses, non-governmental organisations, faith groups, universities, colleges and public sector organisations. Fair trade is not just about buying nice chocolate; it is a culture that we need to develop across Scotland.
Local authorities have an important role to play in promoting fair trade through supporting local organisations. Across South and East Ayrshire, those organisations include Ayr Fairtrade Partnership, South Ayrshire Fairtrade zone committee and East Ayrshire Fairtrade Group. It is encouraging to see that, because of their work, South Ayrshire became a Fairtrade zone in March 2018—that zone brings together the work of Ayr, Prestwick and Troon—and East Ayrshire became a Fairtrade zone in October 2016. That is why, today, across South and East Ayrshire, many businesses can be found that have committed to fair trade business practices.
It would make a real difference if all MSPs encouraged their local authorities to get more involved in fair trade activities such as Fairtrade fortnight. The annual Fairtrade fortnight activities help to spread the message about the importance of fairer and more sustainable trading practices. Fairtrade fortnight also provides an opportunity to hear stories about workers from the developing world who grow food and clothing materials, or mine precious metals.
Such initiatives can help us in achieving our sustainable development goals and fairer trade. Educating younger generations is a great start that gives us all a better chance of becoming more sustainable. Younger generations can utilise their skills and knowledge to shape a more compassionate and sustainable world. That is why I am pleased that many South Ayrshire schools take part in fair trade events. Kyle academy, whose geography and religious, moral and philosophical studies departments won a prize for sustainability at the Scottish fair trade awards in November, is a great example. I urge all MSPs to encourage schools from their constituencies to get involved.
There is so much more that we, as MSPs, can do. We can encourage our councils to do more for fair trade groups and campaigns. We can also sign the Scottish Fair Trade Forum’s fair trade pledge campaign, which demonstrates our support for all actions that improve the livelihoods of workers who produce many of the products that we consume. I am proud that I signed that pledge in October but, as MSPs, we should be leading by example, which is why I urge my colleagues across the chamber to sign the pledge. We should also come together to push for the Parliament to stock more Fairtrade products. Those steps would demonstrate our unity in seeking to achieve fair trade goals.
As a fair trade nation, our efforts aim to embed fair trade values across all sectors of Scottish society, whether that means looking for the Fairtrade mark on the products that we buy, attending one of the many fair trade events or simply donating to help to promote fair trade.
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