Fairtrade Fortnight 2016

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 29 February to 13 March and this year’s message is “Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers.” The national two-week event will feature a giant Fairtrade...

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 29 February to 13 March and this year’s message is “Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers.”

The national two-week event will feature a giant Fairtrade breakfast in support of the farmers who grow the food we have every morning, such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas.

Fairtrade works with 1.5 million farmers and workers in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin and Central America, with the majority of them farmer-owned co-operatives, enabling them to earn a sustainable income and the Fairtrade Premium that they can invest in vital community, business and environmental projects.

  • Cross party group of MPs stand up for Fairtrade farmers

    MP’s from across the political parties have launched a group aimed at standing up for the rights of Fairtrade farmers. Launched during Fairtrade Fortnight, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fairtrade was established after action from campaigners in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. They approached Jason McCartney, Conservative MP for Colne Valley, and Holly Lynch, Labour MP for ...

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  • Fairtrade Easter egg taste test

    Easter Sunday is only a few weeks away – so for the second Co-operative News taste-test we looked at Easter eggs! Without knowing which was which, out taste-testers scored the eggs on aroma, texture and taste, and let us know what they thought of each... The Real Easter Egg Luxury milk chocolate special edition (280g) realeasteregg.co.uk Fairtrade ingredients: Sugar, cocoa ...

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  • Fairtrade Easter eggs: the co-op connection

    Our Fairtrade Fortnight Easter egg taste test included eggs from a range of organisations. But what are their co-op connections? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFp3_Gh0bBk Cocoa Loco Cocoa Loco’s milk chocolate Mr Funny Face and Little Choc Chicks are hand made, organic and Fairtrade. Both are made using single origin cocoa beans from the Conacada Cooperative in the Dominican ...

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  • How is Fairtrade helping cocoa farmers?

    The global demand for chocolate is predicted to rise by 30% by 2020, to more than 4.5m tonnes – and the industry could be facing a shortage of cocoa supplies. Around 90% of the world’s cocoa is grown on small family farms by six million farmers, who need further investment in order to increase production levels. On average 3.5m tonnes of cocoa are produced each year. A sensitive crop, ...

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  • What are co-ops doing for Fairtrade Fortnight?

    With Fairtrade Fortnight starting this week, the Fairtrade Foundation is encouraging communities from across the UK to hold Fairtrade breakfasts to celebrate the event. Co-operatives can support the campaign, which runs from 29 February to 13 March, by hosting their own events. Themed 'you eat, they eat', this year’s fortnight focuses on the farmers that produce some of the key breakfast ...

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  • Co-op Group sugar goes 100% Fairtrade

    A collaboration between the Co-operative Group and Tate & Lyle Sugars will see the convenience retailer's entire sugar range become Fairtrade certified. The move is set to drive more than £1m of benefits to smallholder sugar cane farmers and sugar growing communities of Belize over the next two years. The Group will be the first supermarket to offer a 100% Fairtrade branded and ...

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  • Online platform raises awareness for Fairtrade Fortnight

    The Co-operative Group is celebrating the Fairtrade Fortnight by doubling its support for Fairtrade projects around the world. Last November the co-op launched an online platform that enables members and shoppers to interact directly with producers from across the globe. For every share posted to the website, www.growingstories.coop, the Co-op has been adding £1 to a special fund designed ...

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  • Fairtrade coffee: why does it matter?

    One of the most common Fairtrade products, coffee is also a source of livelihood for 125m people across the world. The Fairtrade Foundation estimates that 25m smallholder farmers produce 80% of the world’s coffee. Weather conditions, diseases and other factors can result in price volatility, a key challenge for these producers. With Fairtrade coffee producer organisations are ...

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  • Fairtrade Fortnight coffee taste test

    In the lead up to Fairtrade Fortnight, Co-operative News held a blind taste-testing of a selection of Fairtrade coffees – all of which have a co-operative connection. Here are our favourite ten, with the most popular getting a special stamp of approval...   Suma: Ethiopia Harar Origin: Ethiopia Strength: 4 They say: A ‘dry natural’ coffee, sun dried in its fruit ...

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  • Coffee co-ops: Taylors of Harrogate and Equal Exchange

    Two of the most popular coffees in our blind taste test came from Taylors of Harrogate and Equal Exchange. We looked a little closer at these two UK coffee co-ops. Taylors of Harrogate: Esperanza  Esperanza coffee comes from Pangoa, a Fairtrade co-operative in San Martín de Pangoa, Peru. Named after Esperanza Dionisio Castillo, the manager of the co-op, the limited edition coffee ...

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  • Fairtrade Fortnight to host big breakfast to remember farmers

    “Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers,” is this year’s message for Fairtrade Fortnight. The national two-week event (29 February-13 March) will feature a giant Fairtrade breakfast in support of the farmers who grow the food we have every morning, such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas. Lack of food security is one of the world’s most critical issues, according to the Fairtrade ...

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