St Andrews Celebrates 20 Years as a Fair Trade Town
On Friday 21 November, nearly 40 staff, students, politicians, faith groups, and community members came together to commemorate the 20th anniversary of St Andrews becoming a Fair Trade Town, instigated by the St Andrews Fair Trade Towns Group back in 2005.
The University of St Andrews has a strong partnership with Fairtrade and the Towns Group, having achieved Fairtrade University status since 2006. The University will be renewing this through an audit next semester.
Current and long-standing members of the Towns Group presented the history and progress made to integrate fair trade across St Andrews over two decades.
Guest speaker Martin Rhodes MP spoke insightfully about the current challenges and solutions of Fairtrade. He suggested the need to combat the idea that fair trade is something that is already achieved. He also spoke about shifting the narrative of Fairtrade from being a consumer choice to a systematic change in trade regulations. Additionally, he outlined how framing the principles of fair trade as part of the values of a global citizen could widen support within and beyond St Andrews.
Anyone interested in joining the University’s Fairtrade Steering Group or the St Andrews Fair Trade Towns Group can contact [email protected].
