Fairtrade in Felixstowe

Felixstowe joined forces with the eight other Fairtrade towns in Suffolk recently to hear a talk by local resident Mike Gidney, the chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, on ‘Fairtrade and the Future of Food’.  He talked particularly about how Fairtrade empowers female workers who were often the front-line workers and had a wealth of practical knowledge which could, and should, be exploited to ensure long-term global food security.

The talk was given at the annual conference of the Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns (SAFT) which promotes Fairtrade across the county.  As part of a plan to raise its profile, SAFT has recently launched a new website at www.suffolkfairtrade.org.uk .  There you will find information on all the Suffolk Fairtrade towns and a wealth of educational material that can be used to promote Fairtrade in schools.  Much of it features Patrick Kaberia, a Fairtrade Farmer from Kenya, who launched his tour of Suffolk in 2016 with a Fairtrade breakfast at Felixstowe Town Hall, hosted by the Town Council.  Patrick became the Patron of SAFT in 2018.

In 2021 pupils at Trimley St Mary primary school put questions to Patrick as part of a live link to Kenya, involving twelve Suffolk schools.