Free Coffee for TDs in Fairtrade Nation campaign

TDs were treated to free cups of coffee and tea outside the Dáil today as part of a campaign to turn Ireland into a ‘Fairtrade Nation’.

Young Green Party members were on hand with the Fairtrade drinks and biscuits to encourage all state organisations to use more Fairtrade products.

They are also sending samples of Fairtrade coffee to town, county and city councils, TDs and President Mary McAleese to support bids to bring about Fairtrade status in towns and cities across the country.

The status, awarded by Fairtrade Mark Ireland, requires councils to support Fairtrade, make sure products are available in shops, supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and hotels and are used by businesses and organisations.

Councils also have to attract and sustain media interest in the campaign and recruit schools to use educational resources on Fairtrade.

There are already five towns and cities in Ireland with the award, while Dublin City Council has cross-party support for its campaign to become Europe’s first Fairtrade capital.

Fairtrade gives producers a fair price for their products, or decent wages to employees in larger businesses, to improve living and working conditions and support development.

Roderic O’Gorman, Young Green and candidate for Dublin West, said: “We’re hoping to see more Fairtrade used in the public services, in Government buildings and state agencies.

“We’re inviting TDs to enjoy a cup of Fairtrade coffee, and encourage them to adopt it in their areas.

“By buying Fairtrade, we can immediately help to improve the lifestyle and profitability of people in the Third World.

“If we increase the volume of Fairtrade products bought by consumers, more and more companies and producers are going to adopt it and that will increase the number of people whose lives are improved.”

The Young Greens want to see the principles of Fairtrade cities applied on a bigger scale so that Ireland could become a Fairtrade nation.

While he acknowledged it would take a lot of work, Mr O’Gorman said he believed such a goal was obtainable.

Green Party Enterprise spokesman Eamon Ryan said the campaign came at a very important time in the context of next month’s world trade talks in Hong Kong.

He accused the Irish Government of protecting a system which harmed developing countries and undermined the millions of euro provided by Ireland in overseas aid.

He said Ireland and France were the strongest supporters in Europe of export subsidies which did more to harm the developing world than anything else.

And he said Green TDs supported the campaign by their youth wing to promote the Fairtrade movement.

“It’s a very simple way of making a change – by buying Fairtrade you know that the revenue is going a certain way to the developing country, the developing farmer.

“It’s not becoming part of a system which is corrupt and which is worsening the plight of developing countries.

“It’s a small change that makes a difference – and out of small changes the larger picture can also change,” he said.