Fairtrade: A taste for life

Fairtrade has been celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Fairtrade Mark as well as Fairtrade Fortnight , 1-14 March, which is themed A Taste for Life this year.

Fillipe, a coffee grower from Guatamala, and actor Tim McGarry from the Hole in the Wall Gang, launched Fairtrade Fortnight in Belfast at the Linenhall Library on 1 March 2004 on behalf of Oxfam and the Fairtrade Foundation. Fillipe spoke of the amazing improvements to the health and lifestyle of his village since they began to sell their coffee through Fairtrade.

in the last ten years.

Shoppers can now choose Fairtrade grapes, lemons, oranges, fruit juice, sugar, jams, marmalades, chutneys and cakes as well as more familiar Fairtrade brands such as coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate products. Fairtrade also launched its first non-food product last year - roses.

Fairtrade is a trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trade by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalised farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade premiums are used to improve social conditions or the economic infrastructure.

Organisations in Northern Ireland can support the campaign by switching to Fairtrade products. For example, NICVA serves only Fairtrade tea and coffee at its conferences and The Salvation Army uses only Fairtrade products at its 800 care centres.

Visit the Oxfam website at www.oxfam.org.uk for their ‘In the Workplace Action Guide’ that gives suggestions on how your organisation can support Fairtrade.

The Oxfam website also contains recipes for Fairtrade chocolate cake and cocktails as well as interviews with Coldplay singer, Chris Martin, who supports the ‘Big Noise’ petition that calls for decision makers to make trade fair.

For more information visit the Fairtrade Foundation website at www.fairtrade.org.uk