Fairtrade Mark Ireland

Infobox Company
company_name = Fairtrade Mark Ireland
company_
company_type = Charitable organization
foundation = 1992
location = flagicon|Ireland Dublin, Ireland
key_people = Peter Gaynor, Executive Director
homepage = [http://www.fairtrade.ie/ www.fairtrade.ie/]

Fairtrade Mark Ireland is the Irish member of FLO International, which unites 23 Fairtrade producer and labelling initiatives across Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The organization, which is registered as a charity, awards a consumer label, the Fairtrade Certification Mark, to products which meet internationally recognised standards of Fairtrade. It is supported by Amnesty International, ActionAid Ireland, Christian Aid, Comhlámh, Concern, Oxfam, Trócaire and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and is active throughout Ireland through a network of volunteers.

The first Irish product bearing the Fairtrade Mark, "Bewley's Direct" coffee, was launched in November 1996. Today, dozens of Irish products bear the Fairtrade Mark, and Fairtrade products are sold by most major Irish supermarkets, such as Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Londis, Marks & Spencer, Superquinn, Supervalu, Centra, and Spar. [Fairtrade Mark Ireland (2006). [http://www.fairtrade.ie/resources/fairtrade%20business%20release%20final.doc Fairtrade Fortnight Business Press Release] URL accessed on October 30, 2006.]

Fairtrade Mark Ireland's most active campaign is the Fairtrade Town program. As of 2008, there were 31 registered Fairtrade Towns in Ireland: Athlone, Ballymun, Bandon, Bantry, Belfast, Bray, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonakilty, Cork, Dublin, Ennis, Galway, Greystones, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Limerick, Maynooth, Mullingar, Newbridge, Newry, Portlaoise, Roscommon, Sligo, Skibbereen, Thurles, Tubbercurry, Waterford, Westport and Wexford. [Fairtrade Mark Ireland (2008). [http://www.fairtrade.ie/involved.php?page=involved_towns Fairtrade Towns Ireland] URL accessed on April 22, 2008.]

Sales of Fairtrade products in Ireland jumped by 101 per cent in 2007 to more than €23.3 million, up from €11.6 million in 2006. [Sunday Business Post (2008). [http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=IRELAND-qqqm=news-qqqid=30713-qqqx=1.asp] . URL accessed on February 24,2008.]

A survey conducted in March 2006 found that one in every two Irish adults (50%) can now identify the Fairtrade Certification Mark. [Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (2006). [http://www.fairtrade.net/uploads/media/FLO_News_Bulletin_07-2006.pdf FLO News Bulletin July 2006] URL accessed on October 30, 2006.]

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.fairtrade.ie Fairtrade Mark Ireland]