Manchester People - Issue 37, New Year 2009

This year, Manchester City Council will be celebrating four years as a Fairtrade city.

Many farmers and workers in developing countries struggle to provide for their families. By buying Fairtrade products shoppers can be certain that a proportion of the money they spend goes directly to the farmer or worker; there are over 2,500 products that carry the Fairtrade mark.

To encourage more people to think about what they're buying and where it has come from, the Council led the bid to make Manchester a Fairtrade city, and the city was awarded Fairtrade status in March 2005. We now promote Fairtrade throughout the city's restaurants, shops and schools with events and activities throughout the year.

Many activities will take place during Fairtrade Fortnight, 23 February to 8 March, to communicate how informed consumer choices can help tackle poverty in the developing world. These include a Fairtrade fashion show, a Fairtrade market and a round table debate with a number of high-profile speakers.

To see a full programme of events and find out more about Fairtrade in Manchester visit www.manchester.gov.uk/fairtrade