29-10-03

Barrett backs fair-trade campaign at Edinburgh University

John Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today backed a campaign by students to make Edinburgh University an official Fair-trade University.

The People and Planet group at Edinburgh University will bring forward a motion to the Students' Association Annual General Meeting later this month about making the University fully fair-trade accredited.

Mr Barrett has tabled a motion to Parliament, welcoming this campaign along with other similar campaigns which are taking place at Universities across the UK.  To be successful, a University must sell fair-trade goods at its shops and outlets, serve fair-trade products at meetings and set up a steering group to set fair-trade targets.

In a statement, John Barrett, who is also a member of the House of Commons International Development Committee, said:

"Fairer trade rules have the opportunity to lift hundreds of millions of people in developing countries out of poverty.  Increasing exports in Africa by just 1% would raise five times what the region receives in aid.

"Campaigns, like the one now being run at Edinburgh University, serves to raise awareness of the importance of fair-trade and keeps up the momentum for change, which took a serious knock at the World Trade Organisation Conference in Cancun.  It also plays a practical role in increasing the sale of the fair-trade goods that put money directly into the pockets of those we are trying to help.

"Hopefully, the Edinburgh University Students' Association will get behind this campaign at its AGM later this month, campaigns which are now being emulated across the UK."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

John Barrett has tabled Early Day Motion 1830 which states:

That this House welcomes the ongoing campaigns of student organisations led by People & Planet groups across the UK to get fair-trade accreditation for their University from the Fair-trade Foundation; urges universities and students' associations to respond positively to these campaigns by meeting the five goals set up by the Fair-trade Foundation including requirements to stock and promote fair-trade goods at University shops and outlets, serve fair-trade products at University and Student Union meetings and establish a written policy and steering group on setting and meeting fair-trade targets; believes such campaigns play an important part in raising the awareness of  current unfair trade rules which force millions of people in developing countries into  poverty and the pressing need for Trade Justice; and plays a practical role in increasing  the sale of products which benefit the world's poorest nations; congratulates the strong campaign of the Edinburgh University People & Planet Group to emulate Oxford Brooks' in getting fair-trade accreditation at Edinburgh University; urges students and the University to support this; and encourages UK  universities to become officially accredited Fair-trade Universities.

More information on Fair-trade accreditation at Universities is available at
www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/fairtrade/uniguide/5goals.htm