Farron launches South Lakes Fairtrade fortnight in Windermere

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is urging local residents to participate in Fairtrade fortnight this month. Tim visited the Co-op store in Windermere to kick off efforts in the South Lakes to support the fortnight.

The fortnight, which runs from 28th February to 13th March, is aiming to increase awareness of the Fairtrade movement.

Despite the economic downturn, nationwide sales of Fairtrade food have grown by almost 65% over the last two years.

Tim, whose office switched to using many Fairtrade products five years ago, said: "This fortnight is a great opportunity to promote and celebrate ethical trading on a local level. I visited the Co-op in Windermere on Friday to congratulate the staff and see what a fantastic job the co-operative group and their staff do.

"I have long campaigned for fair trade for farmers whether they are from Columbia and Cumbria and it was great to see what the staff and co-op are doing in Windermere. Even small changes to shopping patterns can make a massive difference to communities in the developing world."