In the vote at the council meeting on July 26, East Sussex County Council members were overwhelmingly in favour of taking the first step towards East Sussex becoming a Fairtrade county.

The motion was put forward by me and seconded by councillor Jay Kramer of Old Hastings and Tressell division.

It was passed after an amendment and a lively debate, with 41 of the 42 councillors present voting in favour and one against.

I am pleased so many councillors supported this motion. Prior to the meeting, I visited every one of the 44 electoral divisions in East Sussex and spoke to people about Fairtrade to see what public support there was across the county.

I visited shops, farms, cafes and pubs. People I had never met before were willing to write letters, there and then, in support of Fairtrade everywhere I went. Almost everyone I spoke to supported it.

I would like to thank all the people who wrote in support of Fairtrade. I am sure this made a real difference when it came to the vote.

Fairtrade enables producers of a variety of crops, such as bananas, tea, coffee and chocolate, in poorer parts of the world to receive a fairer price for their produce, giving them the money for essentials, including clean water and schooling.

Buying Fairtrade goods is a practical and simple way to help some of the world's poorest workers. Lewes was the first town in East Sussex to become a Fairtrade town.

Brighton and Hove is a Fairtrade city. Uckfield has just followed suit and Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill have active campaigns to achieve Fairtrade status.

-Ruth O'Keeffe, independent town and district councillor, Lewes Priory ward