CHESHIRE West and Chester Council is to launch its first Fairtrade directory.

The directory will list more than 160 businesses and organisations which stock at least two Fairtrade products.

All the organisations and businesses in the directory will be issued with a Fairtrade window sticker to show their support for Fairtrade and to remind shoppers to look for Fairtrade products.

The Lord Mayor of Chester is holding a reception to launch the directory on September 30 and will present certificates to the organisations listed in it. There will be a range of Fairtrade refreshments donated by Co-op, Tesco, Starbucks, Chester Fair Trading, Purely Wicked Shakes and Cafe Trade Limited.

Cheshire West and Chester is working towards achieving Fairtrade Borough status, which will build on the success of Chester being the worlds first Fairtrade city.

The first three Fairtrade products appeared on shop shelves in 1994. Now more than 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the Fairtrade mark.

More than 7 million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from Fairtrade – farmers, farm workers, and their families

The directory booklet is available in libraries across Cheshire West and is available online from www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/fairtrade.

For more details, contact Stefania.Isbell@cheshirewestand chester.gov.uk.