Fairtrade Fortnight – what’s it all about?
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 is 29th February to 13th of March and in this blog I will talk about what it is all about.
Fairtrade Fortnight is two weeks every year in which the values and products of Fairtrade and the links between customers and producers are highlighted. Fairtrade fortnight has a different theme each year, and for 2016 the theme for the fortnight is breakfast!
The Fairtrade Foundation’s tagline for the fortnight is “Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers!” The famous quote from Martin Luther King “Before you finishing eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world” rings very true and is often taken for granted by all of us. We depend on farmers to produce most of the food and drink we love, yet most of the time their hard work goes unrecognised. This year’s national event will feature a massive Fairtrade breakfast to support the farmers and workers who grow the food and drink we have every morning such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas.
According to the Fairtrade Foundation the lack of food security is one of the world’s most significant issues. The Foundation say that nearly 400 million people who are living hungry are living on small farms around the world. The Foundation believes that people living in western countries can change this by harnessing the power of a Fairtrade breakfast so the farmer and workers behind those products can feel more secure, knowing they can keep their families fed all year round.
When the farmers and workers are paid a fairer price then they can have more control of their lives when times get tough and they don’t need to spend all of their time worrying about feeding their families. It can be extra money in their pocket or it could be the ability to make their farms bigger so they can grow more food to eat.
Greener Kirkcaldy are holding a Fairtrade Breakfast event on Wednesday 2nd March, 9.30am – 11am at the High Street Hub, 254a High Street, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1LA. . We will be providing a locally produced community breakfast, showing the award winning film “Fairtrade Matters” and we will be having family friendly conversations and games to encourage you to explore the links between food, families and the environment. This exciting event is completely free of charge and there is no need to book a space. We hope to see you there!!
Further Reading
For more information, read blogger Lauren’s piece on what Fairtrade is from last year. You can also get more information on the Fairtrade Foundation website and Global Dimension have a good article on Fairtrade Fortnight and links to more articles on Fairtrade.
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