A few months ago Scotland, building off of the Fair Trade Town movement, joined forces with Wales to establish a set of criteria for the two countries to declare themselves the first Fair Trade Nations. The Fair Trade Town idea has proven very effective in securing institutional support for the consumer-driven Fair Trade movement. Hundreds of towns and cities in Scotland and Wales have committed to purchasing Fair Trade products for official municipal use and to assist in educating its citizens about globalization, trade justice and the Fair Trade alternative.

The governments of Scotland and Wales came to support Fair Trade through its popularity with consumers and citizens concerned about growing class divisions in the global economy. First Minister Jack McConnell told the Sunday Herald that he is "determined Scotland will do whatever it can to help end the scandal of poverty in the developing world. Our commitment to fair trade is at the centre of our national effort to help make poverty history."

Wales is well on its way to acheiving the goals it set out for itself
and will become the first Fair Trade nation by the end of this year and Scotland, not far behind, recently appointed a new figurehead to drive the country toward Fair Trade status. Betsy Reid, a veteran campaigner on social and trade justice, took
up her post as Scotland’s first Fair Trade development officer last week. Reid said one of her first orders of business would be to push for required consideration of Fair Trade standards for government procurement contracts worth £8 billion annually in Scotland. This would go beyond the measurable crtieria set for the country to attain Fair Trade status and will face legal challenges from the European Union.

In the interest of background and context, the measurable criteria for Scotland and Wales to become Fair Trade nations are:

• 100 per cent of local authorities to have active Fair Trade groups working towards Fair Trade status
• 55 per cent of local authority areas to have Fair Trade status, with 10% annual increase in following years
• All of Scotland’s cities to have Fair Trade status
• Minimum of 55 per cent of Scottish towns to have active Fair Trade groups working towards Fair Trade status
• 60 per cent of Higher Education institutions to have active Fair Trade groups working towards Fair Trade status
• Increase by 5 per cent each year the proportion of the population who know about Fair Trade (currently 45 per cent)
• 75 per cent of people to buy a Fair Trade product every year
• 40 per cent of people who regularly buy Fair Trade products