Aberdeenshire successfully renews its Fairtrade Zone status
Aberdeenshire continues to show its commitment to Fairtrade through community groups and organisations across the region, resulting in the renewal of its Fairtrade Zone status on Monday 7 September 2026.
Fairtrade is a way to ensure that farmers and producers get fair prices for their products. In turn, this allows for improved living standards, working conditions, investment in communities, and support to protect our shared environment.
The Aberdeenshire Fairtrade Steering Group is chaired by an Aberdeenshire Council officer and composed of dedicated volunteers from various communities across the region to share knowledge, ideas, opportunities, and challenges from their own Fairtrade Community groups.
Since the last renewal of Fairtrade status in 2023, the collective effort organised 90 events and a range of activities to promote Fairtrade across Aberdeenshire, including market stalls, coffee mornings, community picnics, café events, film screenings, and local annual Fairtrade Fortnight events.
Councillor Sarah Dickinson, Chair of Aberdeenshire Council's Sustainability Committee that approved the application for renewal, said: "There’s good work being done by groups all over Aberdeenshire. It’s not easy maintaining those volunteers, but there are really dedicated individuals who continue to make progress. We’re very grateful to them and for the work of council staff who help to keep them all in touch and promote the activities across the piece."
Fairtrade Community status is awarded to an area that makes a commitment to support and use products with the Fairtrade mark. This includes communities being ambassadors, influencers, and changemakers for a world with fairer trade.
Fairtrade Communities, including those in Aberdeenshire, drive change through five action areas:
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Boosting Fairtrade (encouraging the purchase and use of Fairtrade products);
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Connecting Fairtrade (partnering with others in the Fairtrade movement and beyond);
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Being Fairtrade Changemakers (growing support for fairer trade in the area);
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Being Fairtrade Ambassadors (raising awareness of how fairer trade supports social change); and
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Being Fairtrade Influencers (growing support for fairer trade through digital channels).
The Fairtrade Foundation gave special recognition badges to Aberdeenshire’s Fairtrade Steering Group for its efforts in "Connecting Fairtrade" and "Fairtrade Influencers" in partnership with the neighbouring Aberdeen City Fairtrade group.
For the next three years, a key priority for the group is to strengthen engagement and deepen connection between Fairtrade, climate action, sustainability, and ethical consumption. The group will also look at developing programmes of activity to qualify for special recognition badges under the action areas of Boosting Fairtrade, Fairtrade Changemakers, and Fairtrade Ambassadors.