Tilburg again 'Fairtrade Municipality'
With the growth of the fair trade offer in the hospitality industry and the extension of the fair trade offer to community centres and community centres, Tilburg has once again received the title "Fairtrade Municipality". It can proudly present this title again in 2019 and 2020. The Fairtrade Municipalities Campaign Team announced this on 7 February. This group consists of the National Association of Worldshops, the Max Havelaar Foundation and ICCO (interdenominational organisation for development cooperation). The title is valid for two years and must be applied for again and again.
In order to qualify for the title, a municipality must meet six criteria. For example, a local working group is needed that takes initiatives to ensure that companies or organisations include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their own operations. There must also be sufficient support for fair trade within the board. The council, the college and the official organisation include fair trade in their policy and act accordingly. Fair trade products are sold in the shops in Tilburg in a clearly visible manner. The local hospitality industry also serves fair trade products and informs customers about them. In addition, local organisations, companies and wholesalers buy and use fair trade products. In addition, there must be a strategy to ensure that fair trade is something for everyone.
Esmah Lahlah
"We are proud that Tilburg receives the title again. This shows that our efforts do not go unnoticed. Last year we took up the challenge of involving our hospitality industry more in fair trade. With the concrete result that Villa de Vier Jaargetijden of the Bonheur Horeca Group has become our first official fair trade restaurant in the city, says alderman Esmah Lahlah. (Global Awareness): "And as a municipality, we have an exemplary role to play. Thanks in part to the local working group, the tender for coffee machines in Tilburg's municipal offices was led into fair trade jobs. One of our concerns is that entrepreneurs with whom the municipality does business respect human rights by paying a fair price to producers in developing countries. In this way, the municipality contributes to the realisation of social added value".
History
A working group has been active in Tilburg since 2008. In 2010, this working group offered more than 2,500 signatures from residents to the Municipal Executive in order to ensure that the Municipal Executive would make an effort to obtain the title. The working group Fairtrade Municipality Tilburg consists of Switch / ContourdeTwern, involved entrepreneurs and a number of enthusiastic volunteers. More information about fair trade in Tilburg and participants can be found on the site www.fairtradegemeenten.nl. The working group is always looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Saskia Peeters, saskiapeeters@contourdetwern.nl or 013-583 99 99.