Co-operative retail stores are among a number of businesses promoting Fairtrade Fortnight, a campaign to encourage shoppers to “choose products that change lives”.
This year’s campaign runs from 23 February–8 March, and will again see a major effort by the Co-op Group, and Co-operative Food stores run by other societies. This will include deals across a range of products and a number of regional wine sampling events.
The Group will also send representatives to communities involved in the Bosman winery in South Africa, which supplies stores with a number of award-winning wines, where they will post daily blogs and reports on the positive changes brought by Fairtrade.
Launched in 1995, Fairtrade Fortnight will this year turn the spotlight on producers who grow some of Britain’s favourite commodities – including cocoa, sugar and tea – to show the difference Fairtrade makes to producers’ lives.
This year also sees the Fairtrade Campaign Awards, which will recognise the impact of grassroots campaigns in areas such as networking, media outreach and most creative campaign.
And a 13-minute film has been produced by the Foundation to offer a glimpse into the lives of two Fairtrade producers. Fairtrade Matters, available for free on DVD or download, looks at the impact of the Fairtrade premium on families and communities, and the challenges they face.
[youtube id=”r25y7qgo5Ks”]
Euan Venters, commercial director at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “After 20 years, the Fairtrade Mark is the best-known ethical label in the world. But, globally, less than 1% of sugar and less than 10% of tea is sold on Fairtrade terms – there is still a long way to go to make all trade fair.
“We’re asking UK businesses to stock products that change lives, or use Fairtrade in their workplace, so that together we can make a greater difference to some of the world’s most disadvantaged farmers and workers, their families and their communities into the future.”
Public awareness of the mark continues to be high in 2013, at a level of 77%. Estimated retail sales of Fairtrade products in 2013 exceeded £1.7bn, a 12% increase
on sales of £1.53bn in 2012.
• For more information visit www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight
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