Wirral’s foodie Fairtrade swap

Feb 24 2010 by Jade Wright, Birkenhead News

FAIRTRADE Fortnight is the Fairtrade Foundation’s biggest campaign of the year, and everyone is encouraged to get involved.

Fairtrade is a people’s movement for change that aims to tip the balance of trade in favour of poor producers.

The concept is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in some of the poorest communities in the world.

Two billion people in developing countries work hard yet still struggle to survive on less that £1 a day.

The theme of Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 is The Big Swap with people across the UK being encouraged to swap everyday shopping basket items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, cotton tee-shirts, pineapples, bananas, cakes, sugar and a host of other products for Fairtrade ones during the fortnight.Š

In Wirral, Co-operative shoppers found staff dancing in the aisles at a Fairtrade tea dance to mark the start of the week.

Staff wiere dressed in formal dance competition outfits, ready to waltz around the store while encouraging customers to switch from conventional brands to Fairtrade products in The Big Swap.

Customers who make the switch from conventional tea brands to Fairtrade tea will benefit growers in some of the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi, which produces tea for The Co-operative’s 99 Tea brand.

The Co-operative’s extensive Fairtrade range, covers everything from chocolate to fruit and nuts, cereals, hot and cold drinks, cakes and a market-leading wine range.

To encourage shoppers to switch, The Co-operative is offering up to 20 per cent off selected Fairtrade products from now until 9 March.

Moreton Co-operative food store manager Margaret Truman says: “We don’t mind doing the Cha Cha if it helps encourage our shoppers to support Fairtrade and choose Fairtrade tea and other Fairtrade products over other brands.”

“2009 was a tough year for everyone, but a desperate year for many poor communities and small farmers in developing countries,’ says Harriet Lamb, Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation says.

“For millions of growers and their families and communities, Fairtrade was able to make the difference that has helped them survive a difficult year and plan for the future.Š

“It is to the credit of the great British public that they do care and, despite the recession, grocery sales figures show that more people than ever are buying Fairtrade products.Š These challenging times have been a wake-up call to many and it is good news that commercial companies have been re-evaluating their priorities, seeing sustainability as the way forward for business and introducing many Fairtrade products in the past year”.

In the course of the last year, switches to Fairtrade included Cadbury Dairy Milk and Starbucks switching their espresso-based coffee to Fairtrade. Tate & Lyle committed to make all their retail sugar Fairtrade.Š And, with the new Fairtrade standards for cosmetics – Boots, Lush, Bubble & Balm, and Neal’s Yard introduced Fairtrade lines.

“As the pundits tell us the global economy is getting back on track, it’s now time to get back on track with expanding Fairtrade to more producers and enabling those selling to sell more on Fairtrade terms,” says Harriet .

“Fairtrade Fortnight should be our biggest and most exciting ever – which is why we are calling it the Big Swap.Š The message is unequivocal, that unless shoppers are actually putting the Fairtrade products in their baskets, producers cannot benefit – if we are not buying them, they can’t sell them.”