LOVE FAIR TRADE THIS VALENTINES

11.53.55am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 14th Feb 2007

Love Fair Trade

South East Lib Dem MEP Sharon Bowles is encouraging people to 'love Fair Trade' this Valentines Day.

Chocolates, wine or a romantic meal for two? Whatever you are doing this Valentines Day, local MEP Sharon Bowles says that loving Fair Trade really can make a difference.

"Choosing Fairtrade helps hundreds of thousands of producers in developing countries to compete in global markets. The South East has seen a huge increase in Fair Trade sales in the past few years"

"The South East is one of the strongest areas of support for Fairtrade in the whole of the UK. Canterbury, Windsor, Maidenhead, Portsmouth, Brighton and Milton Keynes are just some of the South East towns which have won Fairtrade status. They all have many shops stocking Fairtrade products like chocolate, wine and gifts making it easy to have the perfect Fairtrade valentines day."

Fairtrade Foundation Executive Director Harriet Lamb added:

"Many people still only think of tea and coffee when they think of Fairtrade, but there is now a huge range of products, and a huge range of choice within each product category. So there is something for everyone"

And, if it's too late to Love Fair Trade for Valentines Day Ms Bowles says that the whole of Fairtrade Fortnight which runs from 26 February until 11 March will be a great opportunity for people to choose Fairtrade, with events all over the region.

Notes

1. The full range of Fairtrade products is: coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, apples, pears, grapes, plums, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, lychees, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, fruit juices, smoothies, quinoa, peppers, green beans, coconuts, dried fruit, rooibos tea, green tea, ice-cream, cakes, biscuits, honey, muesli, cereal bars, jams, chutney, sauces, herbs, spices, nuts, nut oil, wine, beer, rum, flowers, sports balls, rice, yoghurt, babyfood, sugar body scrub, cotton wool and cotton products.

2. South East towns with Fair Trade status are:

Andover, Arundel, Brighton and Hove, Burgess Hill, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Chelsham, Chichester, Dorking, Edenbridge, East Grinstead, Faringdon, Faversham, Guildford, Hitchin, Horsham, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Oxford, Leighton Linslade, Lewes, Lingfield and Dormansland, Milton Keynes, Newbury, Portsmouth, Reading, Romsey, Sevenoaks, Southampton, St. Albans, St. Neots, Uckfield, Isle of Wight, Windsor & Maidenhead, Woking, Worthing.

3. For more information on Fairtrade fortnight see www.fairtrade.org.uk.