THE Co-op has produced a free booklet to help areas become Fairtrade Towns.

Mirfield is already working towards that status.

To become a Fairtrade Town the council must support Fairtrade products and they must be on sale in shops, cafes, restaurants and workplaces.

Fairtrade ensures a fair deal and better working conditions for growers and producers in developing countries.

It plays a social premium to help pay for vital community projects.

In the UK, 31bn cups of coffee are drunk each year.

But for the £1.75 price of a cappuccino on the high street, small coffee farmers receive just 1.5p, on average.

There are more than 60 Fairtrade towns in the UK, with many more working towards the status.

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group, the UK's leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade, said: "The food we buy and the decisions we make in our lives every day really make a difference to people across the world.

"Our Fairtrade Towns guide is designed to inspire people to take the next step and become active and campaign in support of Fairtrade."

To receive a copy of the booklet phone the Co-op College on 0161 246 2926 or email enquiriesco-op.ac.uk