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10:10;

Guest blogs by Frank and Faith and Tara Leaver, from Boutiko;

Happy Birthday Green & Blacks

Pop by, catch up with the news and don’t forget to say Hi and let me know what you think of the new look. 

Until then …………..

Don’t forget, we’ve moved to our brand-spanking-new-look blog!  There, you can find the most up to date posts, including:-

Guest Blog – Sally Reith at Shared Interest

This is our first guest blogger post.  Kicking off our new feature is Sally Reith from Shared Interest.

I am a keen fair trade supporter and I am the South East Supporter Relations Officer for Shared Interest, the world’s only 100% fair trade lender. With more than 8,700 UK members investing anything from £100 to £20,000, Shared Interest is able to pool these funds and help developing countries trade their way out of poverty.

On my recent summer holiday I decided to follow what some have termed the latest trend of the recession, the ‘staycation’. Combining some travel around the UK with visits to friends and family I was able earn some free accommodation in exchange for some interesting conversation and the odd bottle of wine (Fairtrade wine preferred!). Visits to my Grandma always prove to be interesting with her tales of her childhood and on this visit I was not disappointed. She told me about the resourcefulness of her mother who would buy jumpers from the charity shop, unravel the garment, wash and stretch the wool and then knit something new for them to wear. This reminded me of the knitting lessons grandma had given me as a child and my recent re-interest in this crafty skill. Having re-taught myself the art of casting on and casting off I am now the proud owner of a hand knitted ‘fair trade’ scarf. The wool is fairly traded and the colours of the stripes are as close a match to the green and blue of the Fairtrade mark. It compliments my Fairtrade banana costume perfectly!

Having regaled my family and friends, and even some strangers, with the story of my Fairtrade scarf I got thinking about how far the movement has come when you can go into a department store on the high street and buy balls of fairly traded wool. I began to think of the number of Fairtrade products available, over 3,000 according to The Fairtrade Foundation, the number of organisations involved in fair trade, supporters of fair trade, the concept of fair trade towns, universities, heritage sites – Hadrian’s Wall is aiming for fair trade status. Since beginning my role with Shared Interest I have been drawn further into this powerful movement and my eyes have been opened to the size and scale of its success but also the challenges ahead and the increasing demand for fair trade from both consumers and producers.

With the ‘big names’ like Cadbury and Starbucks realising the importance of fair trade, whatever your view as to their motives in my view where it is the producers who are directly benefitting this can only be a positive thing for the fair trade movement as a whole, it is becoming increasingly accessible as a ‘mainstream’ option. However, should it not be the ONLY option? Shouldn’t all trade be fair? Organisations who have always been founded on principles of fair trade and trade justice, such as Traidcraft, Divine, People Tree and Shared Interest have been working to support this movement for a number of years, believe it or not Traidcraft are thirty this year and Shared Interest will be twenty next year. It is a fantastic achievement that these organisations have been working with fair trade producers, businesses and customers to challenge existing trade practices which, as we know them, are not fair. Price wars, BOGOF’s and special offers affect producers at home as well as those in less developed places.

Thank you for supporting fair trade. Thank you for working TOGETHER with those who have something to offer and buying it for something worth paying. Thank you for talking about fair trade to your friends and family to help make all trade fair trade.

Many thanks to Sally for her post. I’d love to hear your comments on our new feature. 

If you would like to take part with a guest blog post, please email sales@onlyfair.co.uk. You can find the guidelines by clicking here.

Starbucks and Fairtrade

In the UK and Ireland, all Starbucks expresso, used in lattes and cappucinos, is 100% Fairtrade certified.

As part of their training, their baristas learn how the coffee is purchased and how working with Fairtrade makes a difference to the lives of the coffee farmers and their families.

According to their website, Starbucks say that they have been purchasing and selling Fairtrade coffee for ten years. They say that they have doubled their commitment to purchasing Fairtrade from 20 million lbs to 40 million lbs and say that in doing so “….. we will also double the premium we pay to Fairtrade farmers through our global purchases….”

Read through their Fairtrade pages by clicking here.

Fair trade on the fringe

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 7-31 August and is the largest arts festival in the world, so its exciting to hear that Fair Trade on the Fringe will take place from Thursday 27^th to Sunday 30^th August on the Grassmarket.  With exhibitors, kids activities, live music and samples its sure to be well worth a visit. I just wish I lived closer to be able to attend myself!

Visit the Fairtrade Foundation’s Events page  for further information.

Complaints to the BBC – George Alagiah

According to The Guardian, the BBC has received 200 complaints since the story broke about George Alagiah being asked to step down as patron of the Fairtrade Foundation (you can read my previous posts here and here).

If you would like to make a complaint and you happen to be on Facebook (and lets face it – most of us are on Facebook!) visit Superbadger and follow the instructions – quick and easy.

Why the BBC asked George Alagiah to step down

My last post reported that George Alagiah had been made to step down from his post at The Fairtrade Foundation by the BBC.

The Times has today published a letter from The BBC Director of News, setting out why they asked him to step down. Whilst its important for readers to make their own judgment, I will just say that I hope they will be applying this impartiality to all areas and staff of their organisation.

George Alagiah forced to quit as Fairtrade patron

Although he has held the position for seven years, George Alagiah has been forced to quit his position as official patron of The Fairtrade Foundation by the BBC.

There is an excellent article regarding this in The Times. Like many, I don’t understand why the BBC now considers it necessary for him to step down after having held the position for several years.  You can read what Mr Alagiah has to say himself, by clicking HERE.

Canaan Fair Trade

Based in Jenin, Palestine, Canaan Fair Trade sell, amongst other products, olive oil. Their products are produced by over 1,700 small farmers belonging to informal cooperatives that are represented by the Palestine Fair Trade Association. (Click here to read the Olive Oil Guidelines and Standards). 

The Israel-Palestine conflicts are well publicised but the effects they have on individuals and their livelihoods less so.  This is what Canaan has to say:

“……. by giving incentives to produce a high quality product, Canaan and its partners hope to reestablish traditional, sustainable farming as an avenue for Palestinian farmers earning a livelihood. Fair trade provides a vehicle for alternative cultural expression and the opportunity for communities caught in conflict to connect with the outside world……..”

In December 2008, The Fairtrade Foundation released this press release, confirming that the oil would be hitting UK shelves in 2009. 

Find out more about Canaan by visiting their website.  You can find the oil at, amongst other places, Traidcraft.

Fairtrade Beauty

Last week The Fairtrade Foundation announce the first beauty products to hold the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK.

Currently, there are 57 products available from 5 different companies including Boots and Lush. With these companies paving the way, they are showing other companies how to make it easy for consumers to support Fairtrade workers with minimum effort and hopefully more will shortly follow suit.

Each product contains at least one Fairtrade certified ingredient. There are serveral natural products that could be sourced from Fairtrade producers, such as cocoa butter, brazil nut oil, honey and vanilla.  Click HERE for information regarding the minimum levels set for Fairtrade ingredients.

Fairtrade for Dummies!

‘Nough said!