On Thursday 27th April 2000, at the annual Parish Council Public Meeting, Garstang voted to become the world's first Fairtrade town.
Fairtrade is a set of voluntary principles for the way companies source products from farmers at a price that prevents exploitation. It sets standards for workers' rights, environmental protection, and sustainable pricing which, taken together, allow farming communities to prosper and channel money towards health facilities, education and, social improvement.
The first Fairtrade Town plaque was unveiled in Garstang the following year by the actor Tony Robinson. The campaign has spread around the world in the years since.
The promotion of Fairtrade in Garstang created close links with the coffee growing community of New Koforidua in Ghana, and two towns have been twinned to represent this relationship.
You can read more about the campaign at this link or visit the Fairtrade Foundation for more information.
