You may have seen in the news recently that Maltesers will be made with Fairtrade chocolate from next year. The move will boost total sales of Fairtrade in the UK by around 10%, with Mars expecting to pay cocoa farmers another £900,000 a year on top of current prices.

Fairtrade Association Biggleswade (FAB) welcomes the response given by the people of Biggleswade to the possibility of Biggleswade becoming a Fairtrade Town in the Town Plan Questionnaire.

In order for this to happen, five goals need to be achieved: (i) the Town Council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade; (ii) Fairtrade products are readily available in shops/cafés; (iii) Fairtrade products are used by a number of local work places and community organisations; (iv) the Fairtrade Town campaign attracts local media coverage; (v) a Fairtrade Town steering group exists.

Why do we in FAB think that Fairtrade is such a good thing? When you buy a product carrying the Fairtrade logo, you know that producers in the developing world receive a fair and stable price for their produce, which covers their production costs and includes a premium to be reinvested either into the business or into social and environmental schemes among the community.

In the Action Plan produced by the Town Plan Steering Group, FAB is encouraged to let the people of Biggleswade know more about Fairtrade. We will be following this up in various ways, with a special focus in Fairtrade Fortnight which happens each year in February/March. At that time, FAB will be holding its annual “Think As You Shop” event. As well as being an opportunity for people to have fun and learn more about Fairtrade, we also showcase local food producers who, like farmers in developing countries, face the challenge of getting paid enough to maintain a sustainable way of life.

We may even have some Maltesers on offer.