Region pursues Fairtrade target

An attempt is being made to create a Fairtrade region in southern Scotland.

Dumfries and Galloway Council hopes to set up a steering group in an effort to push forward its plans.

Two meetings will take place in the east and west of the region to try to gauge the level of public support for the project.

The authority said there was a lot of work already going on in the area and it hoped to bring together all the schemes to achieve region-wide status.

Hundreds of towns across the UK have already achieved Fairtrade recognition.

In order to do so they must reach a series of goals relating to "ethical purchasing".