Pupils get the Fair Trade message

from The Times and Star

A WORKINGTON school that has helped to promote the Fair Trade movement has been praised by a producer - coffee farmer Sam Magona.

Mr Magona, who grows organic Arabica coffee in eastern Uganda and who chairs the Busamaga Growers Cooperative, was speaking to staff and pupils at St Joseph’s Business and Enterprise College as part of Fair Trade Fortnight.

His visit was to have been marked by the official validation of the school as the first official Fair Trade school in Cumbria but red tape has delayed that until April.

The St Joseph’s Fair Traders group, led by year seven pupils John Dougan and David White, was launched in 2006.

“There’s only one way to describe the work done at St Joseph’s - wonderful,” said Mr Magona. “It might be a small part in a very big effort but it is through the schools where the Fair Trade movement can really gain ground.

“If every pupil can persuade their parents to buy fair trade products then we will make real progress in delivering fair prices to small producers who grow organically and ethically.”

UK Fairtrade products have a turnover of £300 million a year and include coffee, fruit juices and bananas as well as consumer, leisure and sports goods.

Although sales are rising, the Fairtrade Foundation says that change is not happening quickly enough to rescue millions of the world’s poorest farmers from trading poverty.

Mr Magona also visited Cockermouth School where he spoke to groups and answered questions.