§ Claire WardTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking to promote the use of Fairtrade goods in the UK. [164089]
§ Hilary BennDFID works with the Fairtrade Foundation to promote the use of Fairtrade goods in the UK.
Through the Development Awareness Fund, we have provided 120,000 to the media campaigns of the Fairtrade Foundation. These are designed specifically to raise both supermarket and consumer awareness of products carrying the Fairtrade Mark. In 2002, DFID provided £300,000 to the Foundation to help extend the range of Fairtrade products on UK supermarket shelves over the next two years. We also gave a grant to support the Fairtrade town/city brand in the UK over three years. This year, I took part in the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight and participated in a number of other events.
1561WDFID will continue to support Fairtrade initiatives that raise awareness of the impact our buying decisions can have on poverty.