Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group - WAFTAG!

Witney Fairtrade Market 10th March 2012

2011-12-04T16:45:00.002Z

The date has been set for next year’s Fairtrade Market. This will be a very special market for us as it is the first since we became the world’s 1000th Fairtrade Town so we need to make it a memorable one!

The market will be from 10.30 to 4.00pm on Saturday the 10th March 2012 the Langdale Hall. Admission is free. There will be refreshments available, beautiful fairly traded goods on sale and musical entertainment during the day so come and help us celebrate.

There is a lot to still do before this date so please get in touch if anyone wants to be involved in the run up or on the day itself or both!

Meetings & Events

2011-12-03T18:17:00.000Z

Next meeting: Wednesday 11th January 2012, 7.30pm

Venue: 10 Moors Close, Ducklington

Christmas Lights 2011

2011-11-06T18:48:00.001Z

The switching on of the Christmas lights is coming up fast and WAFTAG will be there as usual. The event is on Friday the 25th November; 17.30 – 19.45.

You can come and visit us on our stall where there will be information about the Fairtrade movement as well as food tasting, and you will be able to try your luck on the tombola. All funds raised by the tombola will be split between two local causes; Help Madina (www.helpmadina.org.uk) a small charity that supports medical projects in Sierra Leone and the Witney charity supporting young people - Base 33.

If anyone is able to donate any small (preferably Fairtrade or fairly traded) items to the tombola then please drop them off in to Market Square Oxfam Shop and mark for the attention of Sally to ensure they don’t get misplaced. So we can assess what we have got, could they be left at the shop by Wednesday the 23rd November at the latest.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

We've Done It!!!

2011-06-27T14:11:00.001+01:00

On June 4th at 2pm, Witney will be declared the 1000th International Fairtrade Town. On the same day, several towns and cities will declare sequentially across time zones to celebrate 1000 Fairtrade Towns worldwide.

Witney will be joining Madrid in Spain, Kumamato in Japan and New Koforidua in Ghana and others yet to be named.

Barbara Crowther (Director of Communications and Policy) will join the Witney declaration on June 4th as the speaker from the Fairtrade Foundation. Also David Cameron has sent a message to be read out on the day.

The celebration in Witney will be held at the Corn Exchange and is being organised by Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group who have been working tirelessly over nearly 4 years to gain all the necessary support to get the accreditation. The final piece of the puzzle was to gain the support of the Town Council, which was achieved in March.

The event is by invitation only and over 200 invitations have been sent out to friends, councillors, local businesses and community groups who have supported WAFTAG over the years.

Voice Box choir will be singing, speeches made and video messages relayed from producer groups.

In the UK, Fairtrade sales in 2010 reached an estimated £1.17 billion, one third of global sales.

There are 515 Fairtrade Towns in the UK.

2011-03-14T18:56:00.010Z

Witney Fair Trade Market 2011 - an amazing success.

The Market was opened by the author Philip Pullman and was our most successful market yet. Over 1,500 people attended and spent nearly £4,000 on Fairtrade and Fairly Traded crafts from 15 different stallholders.

The event was sponsored by The Midcounties Co-operative to whom we are very grateful.

We held a children's poetry competition, sponsored by Divine chocolate, which Philip Pullman helped to judge.

We also contributed to the bunting record attempt. Members of our Group illustrated the flags with the names of all the local stockists of Fairtrade and visitors on the day added their own messages - over 160 flags in total.

The picture shows Philip Pullman writing on his bunting:

"Earth hath not anything to show more fair.. support Fairtrade"

You can watch another short video on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6G93NSyDCA

WITNEY FAIR TRADE MARKET

2011-01-01T18:06:00.000Z

To be opened at 10.30 by best selling childrens author Philip Pullman

Saturday March 5th 10.30 - 4pm at the Langdale Hall off Market Square

Admission free. All welcome. Musical interludes by local performers.

There will be a wide range of beautiful fairly traded goods on sale from around the world, including Traidcraft goods, jewellery, crafts, textiles and toys.

Raffle, tombola, children's games, facepainting and free samples to try.

Auction at 2pm

Fairtrade refreshments will be served all day, so why not come and make a day of it?

Every purchase will make a real difference to somebody's life!

Organised by Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group
http://www.waftag.blogspot.com/
01993 881364

Fairtrade Foundation Supporter Day

2010-10-20T19:25:00.004+01:00

Three members of WAFTAG (Kathy, Susan and Wendy) attended the Fairtrade Foundation Supporter Day in London on October 9th. They heard Harriet Lamb (Executive Director of Fairtrade Foundation) talk about the terrible effect that cotton subsidies are having on cotton farmers. She said "Fairtrade must put values back into the market."

Susan Paice and Wendy Maddison with Caroline Lucas MP

Caroline Lucas then spoke about "environmental colonism" and how equity and justice should be at the heart of everything. She discussed the link between climate change and measures taken by Fairtrade to mitigate the effects it has on poor farmers. She said "we need to do more than just measure GDP".

The next speaker was a Kenyan from the board of Cafedirect. His message was that people are abandoning Cafedirect and buying cheaper Fairtrade teas. This is causing real problems for Cafedirect which blazed the trail for all these other multinationals. "Please buy our tea" he said.

Finally the audience heard from Alan Duncan, Minister of State for International Development. He had actually asked to come and address the conference because he feels so strongly about the cause of Fairtrade. He said to the meeting "Dont scoff at Fairtrade. It is a sensible, robust economic model. Everyone should support it." He also talked about the harm that cotton subsidies are doing. He said there is no such thing as cheap clothing; if it seems cheap then someone else has paid the price!

Wendy and Susan with George Alagiah,

who chaired one of the sessions

It was a great and inspiring day for us all.

WAFTAG welcomed at Gurkha restaurant

2010-08-28T21:16:00.006+01:00

A group of 11 WAFTAG members enjoyed an excellent evening meal at the Gurkha Delight Restaurant in Witney (355c Thorney Leys) on August 24th 2010. There they met Chitra Bahadur KC, the proprietor, who is joint secretary of Fair Trade Group in Nepal and Executive Director of New Saddle. His organisation works tirelessly with leprosy and polio sufferers, the poor and needy, teaching them skills so that they can become rehabilitated into society. Integral to this is the production of handicrafts which are sold as fair trade items. He told them about the difference fair trade is making to people's lives in Nepal. He thanked WAFTAG for all that we are doing to encourage fair trade and wants to work more with us in the future. Each WAFTAG member was presented with a "khata", a ceremonial scarf. At Gurkha Delight they use a range of Fairtrade products in their recipes, serve Fairtrade coffee and tea, and sell Fairtrade Nepalese handicraft products.

About WAFTAG

2010-05-15T19:30:00.001+01:00

Who is WAFTAG?
We are a group of local people who are committed to promoting the benefits of fair trade in Witney and its surrounding area.

Our Aim
There are a number of key things we would like to do:

inform people locally about fair trade
encourage people to buy fair trade products
encourage more local retailers to supply fair trade products
persuade local organisations and businesses to switch to using fair trade products
make Witney a "Fairtrade Town"

Despite a huge amount of support in the town for fair trade, Witney has not yet gained Fairtrade status, as the Town Council will not pass the required resolution to do so. We have achieved four out of the five criteria laid down by the Fairtrade Foundation. The final one requires the support of the Town Council.

What is Fair trade?
When people buy fair trade products, it enables more people in developing countries to have access to world markets and sell their goods at a fair price. Ultimately, this means more people can help themselves out of poverty as they are able to build up sustainable livelihoods.

Fair trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. It enables these farmers and workers to improve their situation and have more control over their lives. There are a number of conditions that have to be met before a product can be considered fairly traded and they include:

a price that covers the cost of production
an additional premium for social development purposes, for example funding to support schooling
part payment in advance to help avoid small producers falling into debt
long term trade relations that allows proper planning and sustainable production practises
fair production conditions

How do I know if a product is fairly traded?
If you are buying food and drink, cotton products, roses or sports balls, look for the FAIRTRADE Mark, which is printed on products that have been certified by the Fairtrade Foundation. There are over 2,000 products that are available with this logo. Fairly traded handicrafts do not currently carry the FAIRTRADE Mark as the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation does not have certifying standards for them. To ensure that your handicrafts are fairly traded, buy from a reputable fair trade retailer, such as Traidcraft, Tearcraft or any member of the British Association of Fair Trade Shops.

Doesn’t fair trade adversely affect producers in our area?
The majority of products that carry the Fairtrade mark are tropical commodity food products such as coffee, tea, chocolate cocoa, bananas, sugar, orange juice, or items where these products are a key ingredient, and these are usually not grown in the UK!

Where can I buy fair trade products locally?
All the larger supermarkets in Witney stock some fair trade products. Some coffee shops, like Costa’s and Chomsky’s, also offer a Fairtrade option. Oxfam stocks Fairtrade food, and fairly traded gifts and jewellery. WAFTAG’s website has a full list of where you can buy fair trade products locally and we are adding to it all the time. Let us know of any others you find!

How can I help?
Buy fairly traded products whenever you can — there is a wide selection of great quality items available. Switch a product you use every day to a fair trade option. Ask in restaurants, coffee shops and food stores for Fairtrade products. Could your workplace or school change to fair trade? Find out more about fair trade and ethical trade. You will be part of a growing world-wide shift to buying fairly traded products. The more people buy and ask for fair trade, the more shops and suppliers will be encouraged to offer fair trade products. And this will help more farmers and their families out of poverty in developing countries.

Sign our petition to make Witney a Fairtrade town.

You can also join WAFTAG! If you’d like to be included on our mailing list to find out more about what is happening locally, contact us on:
Email: witneyfairtrade@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: 01993 881 364

How can I find out more?
Check out the rest of our website and its links to various organisations involved in the fair trade movement, as well as organisations campaigning on trade and other issues affecting people in developing countries.

Christmas Lights

2009-12-07T22:38:00.007Z

On November 27th Witney held the Christmas Lights switch on which was a great event and very well organised.
WAFTAG had a stall and had a really good time. The stall looked lovely with candles and lanterns and tinsel and the banner saying FESTIVE AND FAIR.

Festive fair trade

David Cameron came and chatted to us for some time about the Fairtrade towns campaign , with suggestions of how we proceed. He bought some Divine choc mints and won some FT cotton wool on the Tombola! James Mills, the mayor also came over and chatted to us.

David Cameron showing his support

We made £67.70 on the tombola which was excellent and hopefully showed people what a huge variety of Fairtrade goods are available in the local shops. We are very grateful to Sainsbury's, The Co op, Boots and Lidls for their kind contributions.

We sold nearly £60 worth of Traidcarft goods and had some good conversations with people about Fairtrade.

What Does Fair Trade Do?

2009-06-18T21:48:00.002+01:00

On the 20th of April, Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG) and CCOW co-sponsored a panel entitled "What Does Fair Trade Do?" at High Street Methodist Church in Witney.

The panel offered a chance to hear three people with first-hand experience of working on Fair Trade talk about how they saw Fair Trade working, and what it does to assist producers in developing countries.

The first speaker was Alex Nicholls, University Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship at the Skoll Centre of Oxford University, author of Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption and non-executive director of Fair Trade fashion company People Tree.

The second speaker was David Bowman, non-executive director of Traidcraft, one of the UK's largest and best-known Fair Trade organisation.

Wendy Foster, the third speaker, then shared thoughts based on her years spent as a project consultant for the Kwetu Training Centre in Kenya, which produced Fairtrade honey and other sustainably developed and fairly traded products. A copy of Wendy's powerpoint presentation, which introduces the Kwetu project, can be found on the CCOW website and photos from the event here.

Visitors from Galilee come to Witney

2009-04-06T19:41:00.009+01:00

Peace between Israel and Palestine may seem as far distant as ever, BUT a group of people in Witney recently heard about one inspiring way forward!

Samia Nasser (left) and Hadas Lahav with some of their olive oil

At a breakfast meeting, jointly sponsored by the Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG) and the West Oxfordshire Branch of the United Nations Association (WODUNA), a group of over 40 people met Samia Nasser and Hadas Lahav from SINDYANNA of Galilee on April 4th in the Burwell Hall. There they heard the two women (Samia is an Arab and Hadas is Jewish) explain how Sindyanna of Galilee is a Fair Trade association, aiming to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians.

They are touring the country telling groups about the work of the women-led Co-operative in the Galilee region of northern Israel. It is a non-profit organization, established in 1996 to market agricultural products (and especially, olive oil) from Arab farmers in Israel and the West Bank on Fair Trade principles.

Hadas Lahav said "We strive to provide economic opportunites for Arab women - only 17% of whom are in full-time paid employment. We believe that working together like this is the only way forward".

Sindyanna relies on co-operation between Arabs and Jews, based on a mutual belief in equality and the right of the Palestinians to self-determination. In an area that suffers from wars, occupation and fundamentalism, it is a real ray of hope. Sindyanna is a member of the International Fair Trade Association.

Samples of their products were available to try and to buy, and a Fair Trade breakfast was served.

Witney goes all out for Fair Trade

2009-03-09T17:39:00.019Z

Fair Trade Poster Competition winners receive their months supply of Dubble chocolate from Jude Levermore of Base 33 at the opening of the Fair Trade Market. Left to right - Fran Wright age 11, Josh Sims age 9 & Pheobe Sparks age 10. (Further pictures of the days events)

Approaching a thousand people flocked to the Witney Fair Trade Market on Saturday in the Langdale Hall, demonstrating overwhelming support for producers in poor developing countries.

The early shoppers were invited by a "human banana" to the Langdale Hall and given a free Fairtrade banana (donated by Sainsbury's) to eat before midday. It was part of an attempt at a world record for the number of people simultaneously eating Fairtrade bananas. The numbers will be fed back to Fairtrade Foundation as part of a national initiative marking the end of Fairtrade Fortnight and aimed at encouraging people to make small changes in the way they shop by choosing Fairtrade.

Fran Wright, Age 11

Other highlights of the Market included face painting and free children's magic and Punch and Judy shows (with a Fairtrade theme) by the well known entertainer Uncle Wiggy.

Children from local schools had also been invited to design a poster encouraging people to use Fairtrade . The 4 lucky winners received a month's worth of Divine Fairtrade chocolate as well as resources for their schools. Their winning entries were displayed at the Langdale Hall.

Phoebe Sparks, Age 10

Voicebox singing group serenaded the shoppers as they made their purchases.

All this was being organised by Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG). It is the third year they have done this. WAFTAG's Co ordinator, Wendy Maddison, said "We are thrilled by the fantastic response by the people of Witney. Well over £4,100 was spent on fairly traded products. Here we are all feeling the effects of the credit crunch , but imagine how much worse it is for poor farmers and producers in developing countries. Just by buying fairly traded products, we really can make a considerable difference to their lives."

Evelyn White, Age 6

At the opening of the event, Jude Levermore, manager of Base 33, presented certificates to shops, cafes, businesses, schools and churches which have pledged to sell or use Fairtrade items. She said, "I have seen with my own eyes the difference paying farmers a fair price for their goods makes to their families, without it children can't go to school, and anyone who is in the familiy who is sick cannot afford medicine. All they are asking for is a fair deal not charity just a fair price for their hard work so they can provide for themselves and their communities. It is wrong to think that cheap food is the be all and end all."

Josh Simms

Three local doctors' surgeries and nearly 60 other local offices, churches, schools and businesses will soon be displaying their Fairtrade certificates.

The event was supported by Sainsbury's, the Co op and many other local businesses.

Mrs Maddison said "We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from the people and businesses of Witney. " But despite a petition of over 2400 names, so far the Town Council has failed to provide the necessary support for Witney to become a Fairtrade Town.

Petition: to make Witney a Fair Trade town

2008-10-06T17:00:00.013+01:00

Encourage others to sign our petition! Download and print it out from here. Send completed petitions to the address at the bottom of the page on the sheet.

If you find the petition file prints large, try this: right mouse click on the picture, "save image as", then save to your computer or desktop. Then you just open the file as normal and print from there.

About the petition:

Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG) would like Witney to become a Fairtrade Town. The Fairtrade Foundation confers Fairtrade town status on towns that can meet a number of criteria that demonstrate a town and its population is actively supporting Fairtrade. WAFTAG is working towards helping Witney achieve these; however a key point of the criteria involves enlisting the support of the local Town Council. Although the council has passed a resolution supporting the aims and objectives of Fairtrade, they don’t yet wish to take the steps that would enable WAFTAG to apply for Fairtrade Town status (such as making Fairtrade drinks available in their offices and on other appropriate occasions).

WAFTAG have collected signatures from many people, including from Witney MP, David Cameron. We also have the support of many local businesses and groups including Base 33, Oxfam, The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys, Hackett’s Coffee Bar & Bistro, the Salt Box Music Company, Co-op, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Churches Together in Witney and Meller Art Gallery. We need your signature to show that the people of Witney do support fair trade, and that you would like the Witney Town Council to take all the steps required so that we can formally apply for Fairtrade status. So if you haven’t already signed the petition, please do so. And encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do so too!

Where you can buy Fair Trade products locally

2008-10-05T18:44:00.021+01:00

If you cannot see the Fair Trade products on sale, do ask the shop staff. And if you come across more places selling Fair Trade products, please ring 01993 881364 or email witneyfairtrade@yahoo.co.uk and we will add them to the page.

Coffee Shops, Pubs and Restaurants

Cafe Revive, (M&S), Mariotts Walk
Church Green Cafe, Church Green, Witney
Chomsky's, 6 Wesley Walk, (decaf only, and fruit), 01993 849494
Cine World, Marriots Walk, 0871 200200
Costa coffee (FT only if requested), 19 Woolgate Centre, 01993 864578
Deli Cafe, 40 Market Squre, 01993 703222
Delice Cafe, 37 High Street, 01993 834753
Gurkha Delight, 355c Thorney Leys, 01993 703030
Hacketts Coffee Bar and Bistro, Wesley Walk, 01993 700858
Hacketts To Go, 13 Marriots Walk, 01993 862747
Hollybush Inn, 35 Corn St, 01993 708073
Huffkins cafe (certain coffee and snacks), 01993 703540
Londis Stores, 107 Hailey Road, Witney, 01993 702515
Long Hanborough Methodist Cornerstone Cafe, Fridays in term time
Methodist Church (coffee shop), 40 High Street
Oasis Cafe, 17 Fettiplace Road, 01993 773090
Real Eating Company, 01993 778531
Royal Oak Pub, 17 High Street, Witney (FT beer), 01993 702576
Sainsbury coffee shop, Witan Way, 01993 776038
The Bell, 115 Main Road, Long Hanborough, 01993 881324
The Plough, 98 High Street, 01993 704430
Three Horseshoes, 78 Corn St
Toast Café, Witney College, Holloway Rd, 01993 703464
The Windrush (caffetiere coffee and sugar), Burford Rd, 01993 702612
Witney Lakes Resort Restaurant, Downs Rd, 01993 893012

ALSO MANY CHURCHES HAVE TRAIDCRAFT STALLS

Other Shops and Supermarkets

Alden Supermarket, 137 Burwell Drive, 01993 703922
Amlus General Store, Pond Hill, Stonesfield
Ascott-under-Wychwood Village Shop, 01993 881240
Bean Bag, Wesley Walk, 01993 773922
Boots (cosmetics and cotton), 2-8 High Street, 01993 702213
Co-op: Carterton, Long Hanborough, Madley Park and 11 High Street, 01993 703579
Cove Contemporary Design (crafts), 51 Market Square, 01993 700444
Debenhams (desire), 7 Marriots Walk, 08445 616161
Hallmark and Thorntons, 23 Woolgate, 01993 778569
Holland and Barrett, 7 The Woolgate, 01993 706588
Lidl, Ducklington Lane, 0870 4441234
Lily's Attic, 51a Market Square (crafts), 01993 771273
Marks and Spencer, Marriots Walk, 01993 706882
Monsoon/Accessorize, Marriots Walk, 01993 779030
Oxfam Shop, 49 Market Square, 01993 779619
Sainsburys, Witan Way, 01993 776038
Tesco Express: Station Lane, Units 1 and 2 Valence Cresc, 1-3 Fettiplace Rd, The Neighbourhood Centre, Coggs
The Little Shop, High Street (crafts)
Waitrose: 25 Woolgate Centre, 01993 778411
Three Villages Shop Association, Finstock, 01993 869096

Also:

Rosa Flowers, 4 Wesley Walk, (FT chocolates), 01993 771177

Hawthorn House Guest House, 75 Burford Rd, 01993 772768 www.hawthornhousewitney.co.uk

Witney Fair Trade Market - Press Release

2008-03-19T20:30:00.004Z

Photo: Barry Clack oxfordpictures.com

Alex James, the bass guitarist from Blur, was the celebrity guest at Witney's Fair Trade Market on Saturday March 15th in the Langdale Hall. He spoke about how impressed he was by the huge variety of beautiful goods on sale from all over the world and mentioned how important it is that we support producers in developing countries. He is looking forward to soon soon visiting Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso (West Africa) to see conditions there with Christian Aid.

Alex was presented with Faitrade roses from Sainsbury's for his wife, and Fairtrade beer and cakes from local businesses Wychwood Brewery and Fabulous Bakin' Boys respectively.
He presented prizes to the winners of the art competition and the winning school, Clanfield primary, was given an inflatable Fairtrade banana.

Many hundreds of people visited the market, spending in excess of £4,300 on fair trade items. Also the petition to try to make Witney a Fairtrade town was available to sign and now totals over 2100 signatures.

WAFTAG coordinator, Wendy Maddison said"We are thrilled by the interest in fair trade shown in the town. By having Alex here we hope we have shown that buying Fairtrade is cool as well as being the right thing to do".

To view pictures of the day see here or here or the full set! See also reports in Witney Gazette and Oxford Mail.

For the list of 2008 stallholders, click here.

Fairtrade Foundation response to Adam Smith Institute report

2008-02-25T19:58:00.002Z

A new report by the Adam Smith Institute (UK free market policy think-tank) suggests that Fairtrade is unfair. The Fairtrade Foundation does not agree to the claims of the Adam Smith Institute, that free trade is the most effective poverty reduction strategy. The current system of world trade completely fails the two billion people who work incredibly hard for a living, but are still struggling to survive on less than $2 per day. No-one is forced to join a fair trade producer organisation, or to buy Fairtrade products. Fairtrade is offering consumers the chance to buy products certified to Fairtrade standards that make a real difference to the lives of farmers and workers, by ensuring they earn enough for today and a little extra to invest in a better life tomorrow. We set rules for Fairtrade certification so that consumers can buy these products with confidence.

See the full response from Fairtrade Foundation here.

Fair trade event proves overwhelmingly popular

2008-01-17T19:36:00.000Z

The House of Windsor pub was filled to overflowing the evening of Wednesday 16th January for a Fairtrade Quiz evening organised by WAFTAG.

Town Councillor and quiz master Richard Dossett-Davies said ‘everyone obviously had a great time, including several of my Councilllor colleagues who attended. So many people turned up that many ended up going to the Elm Tree next door, which also filled up.’ (see pictures here).

The evening featured Fairtrade snacks and sweets from local shops, and Fairtrade wines and beer served from the bar, including BeeWyched, a local beer brewed using Fairtrade sugar and honey by Wychwood Brewery. First and second-place teams won attractive baskets of Fairtrade foods, provided by Oxfam. The quality of the snacks generated significant interest and favourable comment.

Over 20 Witney retailers now supply Fairtrade products, which guarantee fair living standards for producers in developing countries, and there is high local demand for Witney to become a Fairtrade town. Around 1800 people so far have signed a petition campaigning for Witney to achieve this status.

WAFTAG’s next planned events are food-tasting sessions during Fairtrade Fortnight (25 February – 9 March), and a Fair Trade Market featuring many local stockists, held in Langdale Hall on Saturday 15th March.

Press Release: Witney Town Council supports Fairtrade principles but does not yet support Witney becoming a Fairtrade Town

2007-12-24T18:16:00.002Z

At a meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday evening 5th December the Town Council voted unanimously to support the aims and objectives of Fairtrade.

This was in response to a request from Witney Area Fairtrade Action Group who had previously presented the Policy and Finance Committee a petition with 1,600 names requesting the council's support in making Witney a Fairtrade Town.

They were joined by young people from Base33 who have recently returned from a visit to Ghana. There they visited pineapple farms and saw the difference that Fairtrade makes to some of the poorest people .

Spokesperson for WAFTAG, Wendy Maddison said "We are pleased with the support so far, and look forward to moving on to the next stage of making Witney a Fairtrade Town. very soon, once a few misconceptions have been ironed out."

Over the last year, the group have been busy garnering support from many quarters including Churches Together in Witney, the local Farmers' Market, Base 33, Wychwood Brewery, and MP David Cameron. What is needed now is for the full Council to give whole hearted support and encourage the availability of Fairtrade coffee and tea in its meetings and offices.

Mrs Maddison said " This is an excellent way of raising the profile of the town. It is a simple request but it means a decision which could benefit some of the poorest people in the world at the same time as benefiting the people and economy of Witney."

So far 300 councils have gained fairtrade status including Abingdon, Banbury and Faringdon locally. Another 250 are working through the process.

The town mayor, Chrissie Curry said that the fact that the request for Fairtrade Town Status had not been agreed upon at this time, was not a "stonewall". One of the Town Councillors has agreed to take responsibility for this Fairtrade Town initiative subsequent to the meeting.

Press Release: 1600 people challenge Witney Town Council to 'Make Witney a Fairtrade Town'

2007-11-29T18:40:00.001Z

Witney Fairtrade Campaigners wait to be called into the council meeting on Monday night. From left to right/back to front: Mahalla Mason, Jude Levermore, Wendy Maddison, Elgin Crewe, Caprice Barber and Staci Beevor.

On Monday evening (27th November) the Policy and Finance Committee of Witney Town Council was challenged to ‘Make Witney a Fairtrade Town’ by a delegation from the Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG).

Fairtrade campaigner, Wendy Maddison made a presentation to the council, saying:

“On behalf of 1,600 people we are asking you to join us in making Witney into a Fairtrade Town, the first in West Oxfordshire. We ask you to recommend to the full council that they pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and move to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at your meetings and offices.”

"This is a simple request but it means a decision you make tonight will benefit some of the poorest people in the world at the same time as benefiting the people and economy of Witney. Tonight you have the opportunity to demonstrate real leadership."
Wendy went on to explain:

"Put simply, Fairtrade is about millions of farmers and producers in developing countries who want to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Fairtrade is about building a fair relationship between us in Witney as consumers and the producers. Buying a fairtrade product in Waitrose or Hacketts here in Witney really does transform lives."Caprice Barber and Staci Beevor, two young people from Base 33 were there to speak at first hand about how fairtrade works. Both had recently travelled to Ghana where they visited the farmers who provide those tasty pineapples in Waitrose and benefit from Fairtrade.

Jude Levermore, from Base 33 spoke to the council saying:

When we visited the pineapple growers in Ghana, we asked what difference does Fairtrade makes? They said ‘If we didn’t have fairtrade we would die. When we visited Ghana we saw the difference fairtrade makes to some of the poorest people."

A petition of over 1,600 signatures backing the campaign was presented. Support has also been received from the Churches Together in Witney, local businesses including Wychwood Brewery, the farmers’ market, David Cameron MP, and Base 33 to name but a few.

The meeting did not ask for any clarification or any questions and went into ‘closed session’ for the discussion. Wendy Maddison commented:

"We are waiting to hear the outcome of the meeting and hope the Town Council show leadership and support the community as we work to make a difference by making Witney a Fairtrade Town."

What is Fair trade?

2007-10-19T19:00:00.001+01:00

Fair trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. It enables these farmers and workers to improve their situation and have more control over their lives. There are a number of conditions that have to be met before a product can be considered fairly traded and they include:

a price that covers the cost of production
an additional premium for social development purposes, for example funding to support schooling
part payment in advance to help avoid small producers falling into debt
long term trade relations that allows proper planning and sustainable production practices
fair production conditions

For further information on how a town can become a 'Fair trade town', see the Fairtrade Foundation action guide or website.

Recipies: cook with Fair Trade products

2007-10-19T18:00:00.001+01:00

Delicious recipies made from Fairtrade ingredients.

Honey Spice Cake

Orange and Chocolate Biscuits

Quick Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Cake

Pecan Nut Tort

Gingerbread Cake

Date and Walnut Bread

Honey Spice Cake
75grms(3oz) Fair trade organic honey
250grms (9oz) plain Flour
1tsp Fair Trade ground ginger
1tsp Fair Trade Ground Cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cloves
75grms(3oz)golden castor sugar
finely grated zest of one lemon
finely grated zest of one orange
100grms(4oz) butter
1 egg
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
60 grms (2oz) Fair trade dried apricots blended to a paste

For the icing
160 grms (4oz) icing sugar
1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tbs warm water

Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas3 and lightly butter an 18cm (7in) tin (or a loaf tin). Warm the honey in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water . Sift the flour and spices intro a mixing bowl then add the sugar and fruit zest. Rub the butter into the flour and until crumbly. Lightly mix in the egg and the honey. In a separate small bowl mix the bicarbonate of soda with 3tbs of cold water until dissolved, add to the mixture and beat well. Stir in the apricots and spread in the tin. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until its done. Cool for 10 mins in the tin before turning out.

For the icing sift the sugar in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and water and mix well until blended. Pour the icing over the cake. It takes time to set.

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Orange and Chocolate Biscuits
makes about 30

150g (5oz) butter
176g (6oz) Fair trade golden caster sugar
175g (6oz)plain flour
2tsps. baking powder
75g (3oz)Fair Trade Maya Gold dark chocolate , chopped
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 tbs orange juice
extra Fair Trade castor sugar to decorate.

Very good with vanilla ice cream. Keep a careful eye when you cook them - they need to be taken out of the oven when still soft. They will harden when out in the open.

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/250F/Gas4 and grease a baking sheet. Cream butter and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy. Carefully mix in the flour and the baking powder.
Add the rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth , stiff paste. Using a 5cms (2inch) cutter, cut out the rounds and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the biscuits with a little additional sugar and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits begin to colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tin for at least 5minutes to allow the biscuits to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight tin.

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Quick Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 24

100g (4oz) Fair Trade Maya Gold dark chocolate
100g (4oz)unsalted butter
100g (4oz)icing sugar
2 teaspoons Fair trade Café Direct Instant coffee
2 tablespoons Fair Trade cocoa

Helge Rubinstein created this delicious receipe

Method
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Beat into the cooled melted chocolate the butter, sugar and the coffee. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 30minutes until it has hardened sufficiently to be rolled into balls. Roll them in the cocoa and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

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Chocolate Cake
Serves 12

175g (6oz) plain flour
3tbs Fair Trade cocoa
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g (5oz) fair Trade golden caster sugar
1tbs black treacle
2 eggs
150ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil
150ml (5 fl oz) milk
apricot jam, cream or butter icing to finish

This is a recipe from Michael Barry. He was one of the first TV cooks to give publicity to Fair Trade products

Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas3 and grease 2X18 cm. (7inch) cake tins. Mix all the dry ingredients together in the food processor and whiz the ingredients until thoroughly blended. Add the liquid ingredients and process again scraping the sides of the bowl until they are all incorporated. If you do not have a food processor you can do it by hand. Pour the mixture into tins and bake in the oven for 45mins. Cool and sandwich with apricot jam, cream or butter icing - whatever you prefer.

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Pecan Nut Tort
Serves 8

75grm (3oz) butter
75grm (3oz) Fair Trade golden castor sugar
1 egg
100grn (4oz) Fair Trade Pecans, ground
150 grms (5oz) plain flour
3-4tablespoons Fair trade mango or guava jam
icing sugar for dusting

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C /350F/Gas4 and grease a 18 cms (7inch) sandwich tin. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and then beat in the egg.. Stir in the ground pecans and then mix in enough flour to give a fairly soft dough (not as firm as a pastry dough) Cut off a small amount and set aside for the lattice. Shape the rest of the dough into a round and place in the sandwich tin. Spread with jam. Roll the remaining dough and cut into strips. Arrange in a lattice pattern over the jam. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the lattice topping is crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with icing sugar while still hot. Allow to cool before serving with yoghurt, cream or ice cream.

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Gingerbread Cake
450g(1 lb) plain flour
3/4ablespoon Fair Trade ground ginger
1tsp baking powder
1 Tsp bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
25 g (1oz) Fair Trade demerara sugar
100g (4oz) unsalted butter
100g (4oz) black treacle
100g (4oz) golden syrup
1egg
150ml (5fluid oz) milk

Gary Rhodes gingerbread cake can be served as a warm pudding or simply as a cold cake. It eats really well wit clotted cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/250F/ Gas 4 and grease and line a a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. Mix together the flour, ginger, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Warm the sugar, butter, treacle and golden syrup together in a pan. Beat the egg into the milk then mix in all the ingredients in the bowl. pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly. Simply bake in the oven for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the tin allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving it warm or let it get cold.

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Date and Walnut Bread
300ml (10fl oz) milk
50g (2oz) butter
75g (3oz) black treacle
350g(12oz) plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
75g (3oz) Fair Trade dark muscovado sugar
100grms (4oz) dried dates, coarsely chopped
50g (2oz) Fair Trade walnuts, coarsely chopped

This is a sticky and fruity tea cake which which comes from a book written by Margaret Costa called the Four seasons cookery book.

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 C/ 325F/Gas 3 and grease and flour a 450g, 1Lb loaf tin. Warm the milk with the butter and treacle until the the butter has just melted. Sift ithe dry ingredients together and stir in the sugar. Mix in the chopped dates and walnuts, stir in the liquid, mix to a fairly smooth batter and turn out into a loaf tin. Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1 hour or a little longer- until a skewer comes out clean. Keeps well.

All recipies come from the Oxfam Fairworld Cookbook. Introduced by Sopia Grigson and contributors include: Rose Elliot, Delia Smith, Anton Mossiman, Michael Barry and Ken Hom. ISBN 0-304-34944-5, 1997.

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WAFTAG launches in Witney!

2006-12-02T10:08:00.002Z

As Witney turned on it's Christmas Lights on the evening of 1st December 2006, WAFTAG launched it's campaign to make Witney a Fair Trade town. A stall was held in Market Square (outside the Oxfam Shop), with lots of fair trade food goodies for people to taste. Cakes made with Fairtrade ingredients (bananas, sugar, raisins) by WAFTAG members, chocolate, peanuts, juice etc., were available for passers by to sample.

Our petition to make Witney a Fair Trade Town (addressed to the Witney Town Council) was launched and we got over 100 signatures - a good start. Below are some pictures from the evenings events.

Reading about WAFTAG and checking out the goodies on offer

A sample of cakes made with Fairtrade ingredients.

Enthusiastically signing the petition

Discussing fair trade

David Cameron enjoys some Fairtrade chocolate

Will anyone notice if I have another piece of Fairtrade choc?!

WAFTAG thanks to the Co-op, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and the Oxfam shop for supplying many of the Fairtrade products on offer at the event.