The UK-based Fairtrade Foundation has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category.
The Foundation described the award as a tribute to the 'hard work and entrepreneurialism of tens of thousands of producers in developing countries', as well as to the UK public, seeking to address global trade injustice and poverty by buying Fairtrade.
The Fairtrade Foundation was cited in the Queen’s Award notification as “making a tangible difference to the livelihood and quality of life of local communities within some of the world’s poorest regions and is an outstanding demonstration of the benefit which sustainable consumerism has on communities across the globe”.
Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation, commented: “The Fairtrade movement has at its heart, a determination to tackle the unjust trade rules and powerful commodity markets that have helped plunge billions of small scale farmers, workers and their communities into poverty. By opening markets and setting fairer trade rules, Fairtrade is enabling communities to build sustainable communities. Fairtrade has the power to tip the balance in favour of hard pressed farmers in the southern hemisphere which is why we call on retailers and brands not currently in the Fairtrade system to join this growing movement.'
Ms Lamb stated that the award would spur the Foundation on to further boost sales, which have seen significant growth over the past decade or so, rising from just £16m (€18.2m) in 1998 to some £800m (€912.4m) today.
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