§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the support given to the Fairtrade Foundation over the last four years. [154384]
Mr. Gareth ThomasDFID have worked closely with the Fairtrade Foundation since 1997. In the last four years
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, the Foundation began to expand the Fairtrade product range. DFID provided £300.000 to the foundation on a project to extend the reach of Fairtrade labelling to new producers in developing countries. This will lead to an increase in the range of products in the shops for consumers. Nuts, rice and wine are examples of types of products likely to be in the first wave.In 2002 we gave a grant to support the Fairtrade town/city brand over three years.A number of the regional Enabling Effective Support strategies for work in schools also include a focus on Fairtrade Fortnight.This year, the Secretary of State will be launching Fairtrade Fortnight. I will also participate in some key events.