On Saturday 4 June 2011 joint declarations in the following twelve towns and cities saw the number of Fair Trade Towns worldwide top 1000!

1. Whitehorse City, Australia
2. Kumamoto, Japan
3. Madrid, Spain
4. Kontich, Belgium
5. Bilzen, Belgium
6. Herne, Germany
7. Delft, the Netherlands
8. Witney, England
9. Rutherglen, Scotland
10. Cambuslang, Scotland
11. Aberaeron, Wales
12. Greenwich,USA

Spain’s capital city Madrid joined the UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency Witney, and Kumamoto in Japan, which declared as the first Fair Trade Town in Asia.  The event celebrated the growing people’s movement, now present in 22 countries across six continents campaigning for fair trade in the fields, on the high streets, in local schools, community groups and businesses.

Watch just a few of the highlights from the day here

To mark the 1000th Fair Trade Town, almost 500 individuals, organisations and Fair Trade Towns from 31 countries signed up to a statement calling on G20  leaders to ‘Make Trade Fair’. The statement calls for action to ensure “the current food system and agricultural trade flows contribute to, rather than hinder, sustainable agriculture and food security, in the South and in the North.” Fair Trade Towns around the world echoed the demand through local photo messages. The statement, supporting messages and photographs were sent to Mr Ciolos, EU Commissioner for Agriculture (and his resoponse: European Commission response to Make Trade Fair petition - ), Mr Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General and Agricultural Ministers ahead of the G20 meeting held in Paris on 22 – 23 June.

Congratulating the Fair Trade Towns movement on reaching the 1,000 milestone, EU leaders spoke out for Fair Trade. Mr Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, said:

“Let me (…) congratulate you on the Fair Trade Towns campaign with almost 1000 Fair Trade Towns worldwide involved, the majority being in the EU. This is a perfect example of good cooperation between local authorities, NGOs, volunteers and consumers, all in support of Fair Trade (…) Fair Trade is not about charity: it is about making trade work for development, in particular marginalized producers and workers in the South”.

To read the full letter from Mr Jerzy Buzek, and other letters of support from the President of the Committee of the Regions, Ms Mercedes Bresso, and from the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr Staffan Nilsson click here.

But the campaign to Make Trade Fair doesn’t stop with 1,000 Towns. Save the date and get ready to join participants at the 5th International Fair Trade Towns Conference in Malmo on 18– 20 November 2011 to explore how we move forward “Beyond 1,000 Fair Trade Towns”.

Save the space in your diary and watch this space for details!