Co-op introduces world's first Fairtrade BBQ

Martin writes: Summer's on its way and it looks like we may have some lovely weather this Bank Holiday weekend. Thoughts inevitably turn to barbecues, maybe the first of the year.

So it's great news that the Co-operative has teamed up with the charity Traidcraft to develop the world's first Fairtrade disposable barbecue. The charcoal comes from Namibia and is produced from bushes and trees like acacia trees which grows like a weed over farmland. So by removing these trees, the land is returned to productive agricultural use and also generates an income for the farmers.

The fairly traded charcoal will benefit around 1,000 producers and will mean they receive a guaranteed contract, payment of around three times the minimum wage and free equipment such as charcoal kilns. Also, Traidcraft will be helping them to start new community projects funded by the fair trade premium which will come from the sales of the charcoal products.

The product range consists of:

Fairly-traded Instant Barbecue with Stand £1.99 (3 for £5)
Fairly-traded Party Size Instant Barbecue with Stand £4.99
Fairly-traded Instant Lighting Charcoal 3kg £3.99

Get yours at selected Co-operative stores.

Regional Hustings for National Board Directors

Timothy writes: Being a complicated Co-operative, the Co-operative Group has tiered democracy. Every member elects area committee representatives. Area Committees elect regional boards. Area Committees elect regional board members to the national board. The national board then has two parts, the first from the above mechanism and the second from independent co-operative societies who are 'corporate' members of the Co-operative Group (from its days as the Wholesale Society).

So on Saturday almost all area committee members from across the South East came together to hear each of the candidates put their case forward for why they should be elected to the National board on behalf of the South East membership.

This morning I completed my voting paper and posted it off to the Electoral Reform Society LTD to count the votes up.

Results will be posted as soon as known.

South East AGM

The South East AGM of The Co-operative Group will take place on Saturday 9th May

9.45am - 4.15pm at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, CR9 1DG

Register and get more details or participate ONLINE and watch the web cast of the meeting

Look out for area committee members - we will all have name badges on!

A stronger national co-operative

Martin writes: Most people imagine that the Co-op is one organisation. In fact there are dozens of regional co-ops, some with just a single store, and in the past there were hundreds. In South London we have just one co-operative retailer, the Co-operative Group, which operates in almost every part of the country. But up until the 1980s there were two strong local societies covering our area, the Royal Arsenal and the South Suburban.

Some of the remaining regional societies cover quite large areas. And in the last couple of weeks, one of those - the Plymouth & South West Society - announced it was to recommend to its members that they merge with the Co-op Group.

Does that affect us? Well yes, in part. Having many co-ops with different brands confused shoppers, harmed us over the last 50 years. Some of these societies lost any real local identity, and ended up competing with each other. Plymouth is a strong society, committed to its area. But it had already recognised that ensuring that its shops looked like the main co-op brand would help it and would help the co-op cause. And now it sees benefits for its members, its customers and its staff through full merger.

But at the same time, Ursula Lidbetter, chief exec of the fiercely independent Lincolnshire Co-op, made clear to the Co-op News that her members are best served by staying separate. What we need is both diversity, and a sense of our common direction. Co-ops need to work together, to co-operate in fact. And we have to rise to the challenge of remaining true to our principles.

Because that's what these choices are really about, and something we as Area Committee members need to promote. How do we ensure that local shoppers and members have a voice in large organisations? How do we make sure that those people running the shops are working to deliver for our members? How do we serve our local communities but gain all the benefits of being part of a large, powerful, national organisation?

Lincolnshire and Plymouth have chosen different ways of meeting the challenge of strengthening their democracy and their service. We look forward to hearing your ideas for doing the same in South London.

Earth Hour Anyone?

Timothy writes: The Co-operative is known as a leader in greening its business. You can find out what The Co-operative Group is doing on its environment pages.

As each store is refurbished, it gets greener with newer refrigeration that is less polluting.

The Co-operative Insurance Tower at Manchester is clad in PV cells (photo Voltaic) the panels that convert the sun rays into usable electricity.

The Co-operative Insurance Tower GREEN FACTS

• Generates total electricity for 61 average three-bed houses each year
• Generates enough electricity each year to light an average three-bed house for over 305 years
  
• Generates enough electricity to make 6.8 million pieces of toast/9.9 million cups of tea every year

Which brings me nicely on to 'Earth Hour' - will you be voting Earth? On March 28 you can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour. Or you can vote global warming by leaving your lights on.

The results of the election are being presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. We want one billion votes for Earth, to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.

Co-operation around the world

Timothy writes: I was delighted to see an excellent piece on the bbc news website today about the Co-operative Lijjat Papad in India.

It is celebrating its 50th anniversary today and is a typical example of a successful Co-operative.

Founded by women, it exploited a small amount of start up money and is now a flourishing business with a turnover of £72million a year.

Lijjat web site (in English)

The women exploited a key skill and took this to an impressive business, delivering stable finances for their families at the same time.

It makes you proud to be a supporter of Co-operatives.

Where The Co-operative leads, others follow

Timothy writes: in 2000 The Co-operative was the first supermarket group to introduce Fairtrade chocolate on own-brand chocolate. In 2002 it converted all of its own-brand chocolate to Fairtrade.

The Co-operative chocolate all comes from a co-operative of farmers in Ghana.

So, where the Co-operative leads, others follow! It has been announced by the famous chocolate company Cadbury that they are converting all of their Dairy Milk Chocolate supply from Autumn 2009.

Just like The Co-operative chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk will be sourced from Ghana too.