NORTH EAST EURO-MP SAYS: 'MAKE FAIRTRADE YOUR HABIT!'

12.00.00am GMT Tue 7th Mar 2006

North East Euro-MP Fiona Hall is urging people in the region to get involved in 'Fairtrade fortnight', which starts this week.

The theme of the fortnight is "make fairtrade your habit," encouraging people to buy the products with this logo as a matter of course.

Ms Hall said:

"The Fairtrade system ensures a decent income for millions of small producers in the developing world, by buying direct from farmers at good prices. A fair global trading system is the best way to eradicate poverty."

"Fairtrade is already successful, but there is lots of potential for growth. There are over 1000 fairtrade products now available; everything from fairtrade flowers to fairtrade footballs.

"I use fair-trade products at home and we have fairtrade tea and coffee in my constituency office. As a result of lobbying by MEPs, the European Parliament in Brussels uses fairtrade tea, coffee, wine, chocolate and bananas in its catering, and I hope this will soon be extended even further."