This article is from page 29 of the 2008-03-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 29 JPG
ENNIS is Clare’s first Fair Trade sRedvaen
The county town is leading the way in tackling poverty by supporting the Fairtrade Mark Ireland.
As far back as 1999 Mairead Sheedy, chairperson of the Ennis Fair Trade steering committee, first became involved with Fair Trade produce when her daughter took over Fourth House Fair Trade on Francis Sake e
Since then the Ennis woman has worn down a lot of footwear encour- aging other shops and businesses to
take part in the fair-trade ethos.
It all paid off last October when En- nis was finally named a Fair Trade Oak
The Fair Trade town was launched by Luis Armando Choco a cocoa pro- ducer from Columbia in the Grove in Roslevan.
The Grove is the flag ship business in the town for Fair Trade, with Yum having the accolade as the town’s first every fair trade restaurant, ac- cording to Ms Sheedy.
“Tt is important that people can see it is fair trade in businesses in the town,’ said Ms Sheedy.
“There should be no trade but fair
trade,’ she added.
Ms Sheedy’s next ambition is to make the whole of Clare Fair Trade.
Fair Trade aims to tackle poverty by enabling disadvantaged produc- ers from poor countries to receive a better deal.
As part of a Fair Trade Town the town council passed a resolution sup- porting Fairtrade, and an agreement to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings, in its offices and can- Koto th
The town could only secure the title when a range of Fairtrade is availa- ble in the town’s shops, and served in local cafes/catering outlets. Catering
outlets should serve 100 per cent Fair ‘Trade Mark coffee.
The Fair Trade Mark products must also be used by a flagship business as well as 12 other local businesses and organisations. This should include schools, churches, large offices and local voluntary groups.
A significant number of schools must also become Fairtrade Schools. The Colaiste Mhuire in Ennis is one such school. Girls from the school are planning to visit other schools to inform them of their work to date.
A special fairtrade sale is held in the Friary in Ennis on the second Sunday of every month.