The Co-op is the sponsor for the Fairtrade Foundation’s Fairtrade Schools Award for the new academic year 2017-2018.
Set up in 2007, The Fairtrade School Awards gives students the chance to learn about global issues like where their food comes from, how they are connected to people around the world and how they have the power to create change.
There are almost 1,200 schools with a Fairtrade School Award and a further 7,000 that regularly teach Fairtrade issues across the UK. This means that more than one million students are involved in the programme.
Learning about and taking action for Fairtrade can teach students a range of skills, from teamwork and persuasive writing skills to running a stall or tuck shop.
And by raising awareness of Fairtrade in school and in their community, young people are able to make a real difference to the lives of the farmers and workers who grow and produce the food the UK consumes, says the Fairtrade Foundation.
Research from GlobeScan shows that recognition of Fairtrade is at an all-time high, with 97% of young people recognising the FAIRTRADE mark.
“We supported the initial setup of the school’s programme after we worked with the Fairtrade Foundation to launch the first school educational resources ‘Make your school Fairtrade friendly’,” says Brad Hill, Fairtrade Strategy Manager at the Co-op.
“We continue to champion Fairtrade and it’s important to us that we encourage the next generation to see the real difference that trading fairly makes. Across the country, our store colleagues love talking to schools about Fairtrade, so this is a perfect fit.”
“We are delighted to be able to work together with the Co-op, who have been such a big supporter of the Fairtrade School Awards from the beginning,” adds Jo Milis, Education campaigns manager at the Fairtrade Foundation.
“Bringing Co-op staff and schools together will help to support more schools on their Fairtrade journey by hearing real stories about Fairtrade.”
The Co-op has been championing Fairtrade products for over 20 years and is planning to develop new resources this year alongside the Fairtrade Schools team.
