Limerick City Council celebrated their third birthday as a Fairtrade City.

Fairtrade is all about better prices and decent working conditions for producers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices, fair trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which often discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. Fair trade enables producers to improve and have more control over their lives.

Limerick is a major city at the mouth of the River Shannon on Ireland’s west coast. Its Fairtrade committee is delighted that they have achieved and maintained Fairtrade status and received the active support of successive Mayors, the city council, local businesses, schools and the general public. Chair of the Steering Group, Mrs Dolores O’Meara, puts the success down to a ‘hard working committee and the good will of businesses, schools and householders.’

The committee is continually looking for new ways to promote the Fairtrade message. These include: participating in the St Patrick’s Day parades, screenings of the film Black Gold, talks to schools and other groups, competitions, raffles, high profile coffee mornings and tasting events, banner signs and invited speakers who are part of Fairtrade co-operatives.

Luis Armando Choco was Limerick City’s most recent invited speaker. Luis, an indigenous Mayan, lives in the village of San Pedro Columbia, in the Toledo District of Belize and is manager of the Toledo Cocoa Growers Association.

‘Since becoming Fairtrade,’ Luis said, ‘the Toledo Cocoa Growers Association has accomplished various social, environmental and economic benefits for the farmers, including the rehabilitation of an abandoned cocoa plantation, whose income provides jobs for farmers and assistance for local schools. Similarly, it also provides loans to farmers for major orchard maintenance, thereby increasing productivity. Fairtrade contributes significantly to farmers when given the right to decide where their money will be spent.’ Limerick is one of 26 Irish cities and towns with the Fairtrade Mark.

Contact: www​.limerickcity​.ie

Mayor of Limerick, Councillor
John Gilligan, holds the Fairtrade
banner with the River Shannon and
King John’s Castle in the background
Photo: © Link22