Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Campaigns

Local Food, Trade and Corporate Globalisation

'Globalisation' can mean many things. In economic terms, it refers to the process whereby countries' barriers to trade are removed creating a 'global free market' in goods and services, a process that has brought many real benefits throughout the world. However, globalisation has a down side that cannot be ignored: unfair terms of trade, environmental damage, exploitation and abuses of corporate power.

Increasingly, consumers and producers are supporting fair trade, local farm shops and farmers' markets. Supporting localised supply chains brings economic benefits to a region, helping to enhance linkages between urban and rural communities, improve food quality in public institutions, and it can be significant in environmental terms by helping to reduce ‘food miles’, i.e. the distance which food is transported.

Briefings and other documents

Local Food, Trade and Corporates campaign press releases

Third annual Santa parade hits the streets for Buy Nothing Day (26th November)
On the Fairtrade Treasure Trail (2nd March 2004)
Official: money can't buy you love - it's Buy Nothing Day in Brum (27th November 2003)
Footy protest says 'Balls to the CBI!' (16th November 2003)
Blair and Bush in Brun - with strings attached (9th September 2003)
Real ale and real food - Brum's only organic beer festival (9th July 2003)
The Great GATS Sell-off - public services for sale (13th March 2003)
No purhase necessary - Buy Nothing Day in Brum (27th November 2002)
Farmers in the City - Birmingham Friends of the Earth praises market re-launch (20th August 2002)
Abbey National condemned for false claims of responsibility (23rd April 2002)
Naked business man exposes Barclays rainforest scandal (16th March 2002)
Fun fines for over-consumers on Buy Nothing Day (22nd Nov 2001)
Brum's second organic beer & wine festival - REal Ale, REal Food and REgeneration in Digbeth (26th June 2001)

Press centre: an archive of Birmingham Friends of the Earth press releases 2000-present

Action Briefing articles 2003-6

Looking for treasure during fair trade fortnight (Apr - May 2006)
Supermarkets... the retail superpowers continue their invasion (Apr - May 2006)
Palm Oil Action Day (Apr - May 2006)
Tesco: the apple of my aisle (Dec 2005 - Jan 2006)
Palm Oil Day of Action (Dec 2005 - Jan 2006)
Greasy Palms: the palm oil trade (Aug-Sept 2005)
Local Works for Sustainable Communities (Aug-Sept 2005)
If only rhetoric could end poverty... (Jun-Jul 2005)
A date with the G8 (Jun-Jul 2005)
Green Trade Justice (Apr-May 2005)
Santa Parade brings Buy Nothing Day to Brum (Feb-Mar 2005)
Eye on the CBI: red tape or red herring? (Dec 2004-Jan 2005)
Mandy Pandy: Will big business be pulling Mandelson's strings in Europe? (Dec 2004-Jan 2005)
Steve finds another world at the Forum (Dec 2004-Jan 2005)
CBI coming back for more (Oct-Nov 2004)
Birmingham's Community Strategy (Aug-Sept 2004)
Billesley Lane Allotments Open Day (Aug-Sept 2004)
Sustainable Communities Bill (a.k.a Local Sustainability Bill) (Apr-May 2004)
On the Fairtrade Treasure Trail (Apr-May 2004)
Local Sustainability Bill update (Apr-May 2004)
Absolutely FABulous: Fairtrade Association Birmingham (Feb-Mar 2004)
Local Sustainability Bill launched (Feb-Mar 2004)
Footy protest says 'Balls to the CBI!' (Dec 2003-Jan 2004)
Bend' em like Digby (the Rules that is) (Dec 2003-Jan 2004)
Big Business Exposed Awards: and the winners are. . . (Dec 2003-Jan 2004)
Santastic! Buy Nothing Day in Brum (Dec 2003-Jan 2004)
Blair and Bush in Brum: with strings attached (Oct-Nov 2003)
Cancún Showdown: what sank the WTO talks? (Oct-Nov 2003)
Advantage West Midlands Conference (Oct-Nov 2003)
Localise West Midlands update (Oct-Nov 2003)
Birmingham weighs in for trade justice (Aug-Sept 2003)
Local people going global (Aug-Sept 2003)
DisASDA area! (Jun-Jul 2003)
Local government, local food: public procurement conference (Jun-Jul 2003)
24 hours for trade justice (Jun-Jul 2003)
The Great GATS sell-off (Apr-May 2003)
"Water is a product which would normally be free and our job is to sell it." (Apr-May 2003)
GATS in my Belfy (Apr-May 2003)
Oxfam's food for thought (Apr-May 2003)
Bad Business (Feb-Mar 2003)
Corporate globalisation: bringing it all back home (Feb-Mar 2003)
Exposed: Big Business in the Midlands (Feb-Mar 2003)
GATS out of Hell (Feb-Mar 2003)
Ten easy ways to beat the corporate bullies! (Feb-Mar 2003)
Livin' la vida local: Localise West Midlands (Feb-Mar 2003)
Are these the UK's ten worst companies? (Feb-Mar 2003)
Worcester Trade Justice Network (Feb-Mar 2003)

More Action Briefing articles in our archive.

Links

Big Barn - online local food directory www.bigbarn.co.uk/
Buy Nothing Day www.buynothingday.co.uk/
CorpWatch - holding corporations accountable www.corpwatch.org/
Corporate Watch UK www.corporatewatch.org.uk/
Fairtrade Association Birmingham www.fairtradebirmingham.org.uk/
Friends of the Earth - corporates www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/corporates/
Friends of the Earth - trade www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/global_trade/
Friends of the Earth International www.foei.org/
Localise West Midlands www.localisewestmidlands.org.uk
Local Sustainability Bill www.neweconomics.org/gen/local_works_steering.aspx
Trade Justice Movement www.tradejusticemovement.org.uk

This page last updated: 6th April 2006

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