Be Fairtrade and Fabulous! ♥

Note to the reader:

I've been quite naughty with not updating recently, so this is from before Christmas (eek!). However, Fairtrade is something that is very close to my heart and I think it's a super worthy cause because it has the potential to help so many hard working folks who are less fortunate than us and just need some help and support to raise their living standards.


It really does make a difference if you buy Fairtrade, and it's quite hard to resist when there are so many yummy Fairtrade products available - just make sure they carry the 'Fairtrade Mark' which is a registered certification label for products sourced from producers in developing countries.

Happy reading! :)

Although I was a part of the Fairtrade group at my previous school, to the seventeen year old me, this mainly meant that I was allowed to run a fair-trade chocolate stall every Friday break with my friends. Other perks of the job included being given free Geobars and sampling chocolate mini eggs but if I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure what fair-trade was all about.

Luckily, I was enlightened by Sarah Jewell, who manages the Fairtrade Universities and Colleges campaign who has explained why buying Fairtrade beneficial to those in developing countries as well as telling me all about the Fairtrade Foundation itself.


The Fairtrade foundation was introduced in 1992 with the aim of empowering disadvantaged producers and encouraging consumers and industry in the UK to support Fairtrade. They do this by awarding a consumer guarantee, the Fairtrade Mark to products which meet their standards, and also collaborate with FLO International and FLO-CERT to ensure that products continue to meet the high standards expected.


In addition, the foundation also promotes research into the causes and effects of poverty in relation to trade and also looks at ways of improving conditions of employment for poor people around the world.

 Washing bananas
St Lucia 
(©Simon Rawles)

Although there has been no formal labeling scheme until the 1980s, the actual concept of ‘fair trade’ has existed for around forty years, meaning that it is a well established cause. The movement has been propelled by grassroots support, as well as organisations such as Traidcraft and Oxfam. As a testament to how the movement has grown, to date, there are 500 Fairtrade Towns, 6,000 Fairtrade faith groups, 130 Fairtrade Universities and Colleges, with thousands of schools learning about Fairtrade.

I did start off knowing that Fairtrade was about increasing local sustainability and trading on fairer terms with farmers and workers in the developing world but wasn’t sure of what this actually entailed. Essentially, companies are required to pay sustainable prices which must not fall below the market price, and by doing so various injustices of conventional trade are eliminated to a certain extent. This has an impact because conventional trade traditionally discriminates against the poorest and weakest producers and so this gives them an opportunity to earn a reasonable wage and improve their standards of living in the long term.

To highlight the importance of Fairtrade, for 7.5 million farmers, workers and their families, Fairtrade is an essential lifeline and creates a stable foundation which allows workers and producers to plan for a more steady future. This system is also unique in that an additional sum of money (the foundation calls this a Fairtrade premium) for the farmers and workers to invest jointly in their own projects – for example, building health clinics, improving schools and sink wells as well as going on to develop and diversify their businesses, investing in processing facilities, training and local infrastructure. This ensures that fair trade benefits the community as a whole and not just the individual workers and producers.

A common misconception is that Fairtrade products are far more expensive than conventional ones, however this is not true at all. There are a huge range of Fairtrade products today, many supermarket own-label products, specialist brands and even organic product can be found sporting the Fairtrade mark.

Cotton growing, India
©Simon Rawles

The Fairtrade Foundation is constantly trying to increase the choice on offer so that there are products to suit the tastes and budget of everyone and although some Fairtrade products may cost a little more than their conventional counterparts, the difference is paltry – usually just a few pence.

It’s also important to bear in mind that although we’re all tightening the purse strings due to the economic downturn, farmers and workers in developing countries are similarly feeling the pinch. With problems such as a global economic downturn, rising commodity prices and the possibility of climate change, Fairtrade is more important than ever. Thankfully, the Foundation has found that despite the recession, consumers are still buying Fairtrade products which I’ve often found are of a better quality than non-Fairtrade products.

So this Christmas, show your support for Fairtrade in the simplest way by purchasing some lovely Fairtrade goodies for your loved ones. If you’re stuck for ideas, Fairtrade chocolate is always a great stocking filler and it’s perfect for when you’re enjoying all those Christmas specials on TV.

For further information, go to fairtrade.org.uk and see what events are going on in your local area. You can also show your support for the Foundation’s cotton campaign by lobbying the EU on trade distorting subsidies (see fairtrade.org.uk/cotton).

Many universities also have Fairtrade societies and it is essential we support them because grassroots supporters have been responsible for a lot of the growth and success the Fairtrade movement has experienced.


For more information visit http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

Published in London Student Newspaper

All photography courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation