Not enough comrades-in-arms: Murnau market will soon no longer be a fair trade community
Created: 12/23/2022 10:14 am
By: Roland Lory
The Fairtrade logo can be seen next to various Fairtrade products during a trade fair.
© Daniel Karmann/dpa
The commitment is too low, the comrades-in-arms are too few in number.
Therefore, the Murnau market will not seek to extend the Fair Trade Town award in the coming year.
Murnau
– A representative from Fairtrade Germany was enthusiastic when she was in Murnau in May 2015.
"I don't know of any other place where the mayor had the idea of becoming a fair trade community." The head of the town hall, Rolf Beuting (ÖDP/citizens' forum), announced at the time: "I wish that this wasn't the end of a process that we are talking about worked towards receiving this title, but that it is the beginning of a very long process that carries us all together.”
Today, a good seven years later, it is clear that Mayor Beuting's wish will not come to fruition.
Because the Murnau market will not have the Fair Trade Town title extended.
Certification would be due again next year.
But: "We can't find enough supporters," said the mayor in the market town council when the people's representatives discussed the 2023 budget.
Fair trade at local level
Fair Trade Town is a certificate issued by a recognized fair trade certification body.
Fair Trade Towns promote fair trade at the municipal level, they are considered the result of a successful networking of actors from civil society, politics and business.
The market town had applied for the title in 2014 based on a council decision.
She received the award in spring 2015.
As Nina Herweck-Bockhorni, deputy manager in the town hall, reports, there is unfortunately “no permanent and active steering group in Murnau that would fill the idea of fair trade towns with life.
In addition to the municipality, participants from business and civil society are needed for the certification”.
However, according to HerweckBockhorni, the problem is more because “there are shops in Murnau that offer fair trade goods, above all the world shop.
But these businesses place far higher quality demands on their suppliers and/or service providers, so that Fairtrade certification is out of the question for them - quite apart from the fact that this would be associated with correspondingly high costs".
reserve capacities
The Fair Trade Town award is free of charge.
However, according to Herweck-Bockhorni, "it is expected that various actions will be carried out, which of course will then be at your own expense".
In addition, capacities, for example in administration, would have to be reserved for this.
It is unclear how many Murnau tradespeople have taken part since 2015.
"This question cannot be answered in this form," says the deputy manager.
At Fairtrade Germany, nothing was known about the withdrawal of the community.
"The Murnau market has not commented," says Kristina Klecko from the campaign team.
Your organization will contact the municipality and see if it can support them.
Christa Mayr-Brandl, Chairwoman of the Fair Trade Murnau Association, was already aware that the municipality did not want the title to be extended.
"It's a shame, but there's nothing you can do about it." It takes people to keep something like this going.
If these “cannot be found, it is difficult”.
Mayr-Brandl knows of one or two citizens who participated in the steering group.
"That's not enough." Such a certification is also extensive.
To be recognized as a Fair Trade Town, a municipality must meet five criteria:
that affect commitment to fair trade at various levels.
"You have to pay a lot of attention to that," says Mayr-Brandl.
The Fair Trade association is the sponsor of the Murnauer Weltladen.
Also interesting:
Murnau can call itself a fair trade community
