Playing your part
Together we worked to secure Scotland’s status as a Fair Trade Nation in 2013, to retain that status in 2017, and again in 2025. The efforts of Fair Trade campaigners across the country were recognised in the Scottish Parliament during the debate Scotland – A Fair Trade Nation.
But there’s much more to do and we need to work with people across Scotland to continue to strengthen the commitment to our Fair Trade Nation across all sectors of Scottish society.
The Criteria
The current environment and future ambitions of the global Fair Trade movement called for a review of the criteria. The refreshed criteria are considered robust and meaningful having been reviewed and agreed by Scottish Fair Trade, Fair Trade Wales, the Scottish and Welsh governments, along with a wide range of global stakeholders.
The criteria can be applied by administrations internationally, and guided the reassessment of Scotland’s status as a Fair Trade Nation.
Play your part in our fair trade nation
As Fair Trade campaigners, our work continues.
Tell your friends, family & other groups you’re involved with about Fair Trade & why it’s important
Visit your local schools & colleges, places of worship to tell them about Scotland’s status as a Fair Trade Nation & what it means
Ask your local authority about their Fair Trade procurement
Choose Fair Trade when you can & support Scotland’s Fair Trade enterprises
Keep your MSPs updated with your local action
Join as a member & help us to build Scotland’s Fair Trade network
A commitment to fair trade
Fair Trade Procurement
We’ve been working on Fair Trade procurement by public bodies over the last few years only to find that there is no standard definition of Fair Trade used in the public sector. This makes it very difficult to track how much public money is spent on Fair Trade products.
The Scottish Government have recently updated the website that supports public bodies to maximise the value achieved from procurement and to aid compliance with national procurement legislation.
At Scottish Fair Trade, we worked with the Scottish Government to update the worker conditions guidance with information about the importance of certified Fair Trade products, and how organisations can help support the collection of consistent procurement spend data.
Fair Trade Procurement
Take Action
Contact your local authority about the importance of public spending on Fair Trade in our Fair Trade Nation. You can discuss Fair Trade’s credentials as the most robust certification, be that Fairtrade Mark certification or World Fair Trade Organization verification and the 10 Fair Trade Principles .
Fair Trade is about protecting people and the planet, both here in Scotland and around the world. Fair Trade is not in competition with local farmers and producers. Many food, drink and other items we buy in Scotland are not grown or produced here and Scotland is committed as a global citizen and as a Fair Trade Nation to supporting the most vulnerable farmers, producers, artisans and workers around the world to trade and do business fairly and sustainably. And Fair Trade ensures us that our money is spent ethically and tackles poverty.
For support with public sector Fair Trade procurement,
please email Kiera by clicking the button below:
Play your part in our fair trade nation
Become a Fair Trade Finder. We’re building a map of all the shops, supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, across Scotland that sell Fair Trade guaranteed, Fairtrade Mark and fairly traded products.
Let’s fill the map with places to buy Fair Trade.
When you submit your entry on Fair Trade Finders, we will check and approve it and then it’ll appear in the listings and on the map.
Fair Trade Nation
Fair Trade & the Cultural Sector
We’re aiming to build support for Fair Trade in the cultural sector. In museums, galleries and theatre shops and cafés, and at festivals and events across Scotland.
Take Action
If you visit a museum, gallery, theatre or other cultural venue and find Fair Trade products available, you can help us map the sector by adding to Fair Trade Finders.
If you find nothing, please let Catherine know by emailing her using the button below, as this will help us too with our mapping.
Political Support
Fair Trade has long enjoyed cross-party support in Scotland, including from 73 MSPs who signed our Fair Trade Pledge and members of the Cross-Party Group on Fair Trade, chaired by Colin Smyth MSP. But political backing at all levels—local councils, Holyrood, and Westminster—is vital to making trade fairer for people and planet.
Whether it’s your local councillor, MP or MSP, your voice as a constituent can influence how seriously decision-makers take Fair Trade. Elected representatives need to hear from people like you who care about justice in supply chains and ethical business.
Take Action
Meeting politicians at a local event? Writing to your MP or local councillor? Here’s how to engage them:
Tell them Scotland is a Fair Trade Nation—and that we must keep that status meaningful and active.
Here are three things we’re asking elected representatives to support:
In the run up to the 2026 Scottish elections we’ll have more tips and requests for you to put to your candidates.
Fair Trade Nation
Our Network
To build support for Fair Trade in our Fair Trade Nation, we co-ordinate Scotland’s network of Fair Trade supporters. We work with our network on building awareness of and engagement with Fair Trade in Scotland, on increasing Fair Trade production and consumption, securing political support and building solidarity for global social justice.
Take Action
To help us build our network, please invite your local council, schools, churches, colleges and universities, and businesses to show support for Fair Trade. Find out who is already part of the network.
If your council is not on the list, we’d very much like to welcome them to the network. You can share this information, and if we can support you at all, please email Louise by clicking the button below:
Fair Trade Nation
In the Loop
We know that so many of you run events in your local communities. The best way for people to keep in touch with what’s happening in our Fair Trade Nation, is to register for our news.
Take Action
If you’re happy to download QR code, print it out and display it at your community events, people can scan the code, and it will link them through to signing up to receive our Fair Trade news .
Thank you for supporting our Fair Trade Nation campaign
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