PREPARATIONS have begun for this year's Fairtrade Fortnight.

Running between February 26 and March 11, the event aims to get locals thinking about where their produce comes from.

And the Melrose Fairtrade Group will be doing their bit once again to promote ethical trading by hosting a number of events around the town.

Tables will be set up at Borders General Hospital, while the town's churches will be holding breakfasts and the Little Learners pre-school will sell homemade products at the Co-op.

And on March 3 the community will be invited to the the annual Fairtrade Cafe beside Melrose Square, between 10am and 12pm.

Hazel Laidlaw, owner of the Country Kitchen Deli, is taking part in the week.

She said: "We at Country Kitchen Deli choose Fairtrade products as they are produced in safe and healthy conditions and farmers and producers receive a fair price for them.

“We are proud to support the Fairtrade vision and by continuing to stock and sell Fairtrade products we can help ensure Melrose retains its Fairtrade Town status.

“Many of our customers are committed to purchasing Fairtrade products and this continues to strengthen the links between business and customer supporting Fairtrade.

“We find the products are high quality and by choosing them, we’re helping to make a difference in the lives of the people who grow them.”

Adam Gardner from the Fairtrade Foundation added: “It’s a scandalous reality that millions of farmers and workers are being ripped off despite working hard to provide the products we love.

"Unfairness in global trade is rooted in centuries of exploitation. But across the globe, millions of hard-working producers are unravelling this legacy. They’re fighting for a fair deal, supported by Fairtrade, earning their way out of poverty and transforming their communities."