Cumbria County Council is to hold a reception for a Fairtrade coffee producer from Uganda on Friday March 2nd in Carlisle at 1pm. The reception will celebrate the first anniversary of Cumbria achieving Fairtrade county status and is part of Fairtrade Fortnight, which began on February 26th and lasts until March 11th.
Samuel Magona, who has been invited to Britain for the period by the Fairtrade Foundation, will meet councillors Tim Stoddard and Joan Stocker, Leader and Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council, along with other Cabinet members and senior officers.
Mr. Magona is a coffee farmer from Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda. Mount Elgon reaches over 4,000 metres (14,000 feet) above sea level at its peak and is the main growing area for high quality arabica coffee that thrives in the cooler temperatures found on the lower slopes at 2000-3,500 metres. He has been chairman of the local Busamaga Growers Co-operative since 1982, and is one of the driving forces behind the Gumutindo, a young and innovative coffee co-operative union, which now sells into the Fairtrade market.
"Meeting producers like Samuel Magona helps bring home why we decided to become a Fairtrade county in the first place. Fairtrade has made a real difference to agricultural communities across the world and we should all be proud of the massive effort seen in Cumbria in supporting and promoting Fairtrade products," said Deputy Leader Joan Stocker.
"Cumbria has made a fantastic effort in embracing Fairtrade. Along with Fairtrade county status, we now have 14 Fairtrade towns and villages in Cumbria, with a 15th on its way in the next couple of weeks," said Joe Human, Co-ordinator of Cumbria Fair Trade Network.
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 606332
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Notes for editors
- On March 11 2006, Cumbria became only the second county in England to achieve Fairtrade County status, following on from Somerset.
- The theme of Fairtrade Fortnight is 'Change Today: Choose Fairtrade!' During this period campaigners all over the county will be persuading shoppers and businesses to make the switch to Fairtrade.
- For more information on Fairtrade in Cumbria visit www.cumbriafairtrade.org.uk