Fair and Local with Burges Salmon

Kirsty Green-Mann, is Head of Corporate Responsibility at Burges Salmon – an independent UK law firm with a long-standing commitment to responsible business.

Burges Salmon is a proud advocate and supporter of Fair Trade. As a Responsible Business we are aware of the importance of contributing to a sustainable future, supporting farmers’ livelihoods and those working throughout each supply chain. By supporting Fair Trade we are pleased to know that there are project investments improving rural communities, education, environment and health care, in some the poorest parts of the world.

We see our support of Fair Trade as essential to shaping a fairer world. It’s an important piece of action to promote and endorse positive supply chain standards and practices that address issues of equality, good labour practices, sustainable agriculture and so much more.

Along with giving back to the community, our responsible business commitments include operating to high standards, minimising our environmental impacts and having a great work place. We value Fair Trade as a key mechanism to enable farmers and producers being paid, a fair price for their work. We therefore favour Fair Trade certified products to be used and sold in our Glassworks Restaurant and client meeting rooms.

We annually support and internally raise awareness with Fairtrade Fortnight, engaging our staff on the ethos of Fair Trade and the positive difference a simple consumer decision can make. For the last 2 consecutive years Burges Salmon has sponsored the Fairtrade South Bristol ‘University/College’ Award at the South West Fair Trade Business Awards. This links with our work in education and social mobility. This event has been a fantastic way to network with other likeminded businesses who put Fair Trade at the heart of what they do. This truly brings the idea of fair and local together.

During Fairtrade Fortnight we have been delighted to welcome Fairtrade farmers as guest speakers to deliver presentations on life as a farmer in the global south, the challenges they face and how they, their communities, and the environment benefit from Fairtrade. We offer the opportunity for our people to attend these ‘lunch and learn’ sessions to engage and to deepen their understanding. Our Glassworks restaurant is set up with promotional materials such as balloons and bunting and we make sure that the Fairtrade products are prominent.

Being a responsible business means we seek to be a force for good and strive to contribute to a sustainable future as defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We do this through our operations, our client work and our community and not-for-profit collaborations.

At Burges Salmon our responsible business agenda is really brought to life by our internal networks of champions. They help us to share community engagement opportunities and to further raise awareness of our key partner organisations. In this way, we can promote Fairtrade Fortnight and through this, the right to a living income for farmers, both male and female.

Community Engagement and efforts towards a sustainable future are key to what we do at Burges Salmon. We are proud to advocate for organisations such as the Fairtrade Foundation.