Fairtrade fortnight begins
By politics.co.uk staff
Fairtrade Fortnight begins today, with events all over the country to encourage people to buy Fairtrade, despite the recession.
The fortnight, titled ‘Make it happen. Choose Fairtrade’, is aimed at galvanising campaigners, supporters and the general public to organise events for the fortnight.
“The Fairtrade Foundation’s message for Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 is that, while sales of Fairtrade products and awareness of Fairtrade has been growing apace in recent years, change is still not happening nearly quickly enough for the millions of the world’s poorest farmers who remain trapped in trade poverty,” said Harriet Lamb, chief executive of the foundation.
“The challenge now is to urgently scale up the reach and impact of Fairtrade so that by working together, we can succeed in tipping the balance of trade in favour of marginalised farmers and producers.”
But some economic analysts are unsure of the long-term success of the Fairtrade brand in the midst of such global economic turmoil.
With the cost of food rising many farmers are finding they spend more on food than they are selling which could lead to the collapse of their farms.
In some cases, Fairtrade found that farmers were spending 80 percent of their income solely on the food budget.
And, as a consequence, some were finding they had to cut out meals, take their children out of school, reduce the amount of land they plant or even end up selling their farms altogether.
“These are tough times for everyone, but they’re desperate times for many poor communities and small farmers in developing countries,” said Ms Lamb.
“They urgently need support to keep producing the food we all eat, and to provide a future for their families.
“We are calling on governments, North and South, and businesses to ensure this crucial small farmer sector is placed centre stage in strategies to tackle the food crisis and boost agricultural production.”
Despite suffering difficulties, the future doesn’t appear to be all doom and gloom. The figures show that despite the international downturn in growth of most industries, Fairtrade actually managed to see a 43 percent increase in value in 2008.
Secretary of state for international development, Douglas Alexander, said: “UK shoppers who buy Fairtrade products are providing farmers in the developing world with a crucial lifeline in the current climate.
“The cost of the raw materials and fuel that farmers need is unpredictable and knowing they’ll get a guaranteed price ensures they can feed and house themselves, school their children and earn a living.”
Mr Alexander said he welcomed the start of Fairtrade Fortnight and pledged the government would commit to helping people in the developing world get a fair deal for their products.
“Fair trade is fundamental to a fair world, a vital route out of poverty for millions of people across the globe,” he said.
“Fairtrade Fortnight is a reminder that it works and that this opportunity should be open to everyone.
“The Labour government is backing the world’s poorest farmers with real help.
“We are increasing the Department for International Development’s support for fair trade and by 2010 we will have raised the UK’s support to help poorer countries trade to over £400 million a year,” he continued.
“Fair terms of trade, honest prices, decent working conditions, and local sustainability benefit both the developing world and the UK.”
The fortnight will culminate with an attempt at the world record for the most number of people simultaneously eating a Fairtrade banana across the UK.
Many employers such as the Welcome Trust and KPMG are already planning events with their staff to support ‘Go Fairtrade bananas’.
To help break the record, register online at www.fairtrade.org.uk
