Food and the Fairtrade Fortnight
Buying fairtrade helps others, so you should really try it out
The celebrations of Fairtrade Fortnight start on 27 February – but what is “Fairtrade” actually? The Fairtrade Foundation is a non-profit organisation that ensures that any product marked with the Fairtrade Mark conforms to the established standards. These standards are in regards to ethics, for instance, any hired labour producing the consumable must be paid at least the regional average wage.
The Fairtrade Foundation also sets a cap on the minimum selling price of the products. This ensures that the farmers’ labours will always bring in enough money to sustain their families and communities. This is not true for non-Fairtrade producers who have to work for zilch in famine or when demand and subsequently selling price drops to nothing, meaning not being able to make ends meet.
Another example is that health and safety must be enforced to ensure that machinery is handled correctly and the dangers are known. Specific hazardous materials are also banned to ensure the safety of workers, while environmentally sustainable and natural methods in farming are promoted.
On top of ensuring that producers are not being ripped off, the Fairtrade Foundation invests into a community fund to be spent democratically by cooperatives in the area on schools, clean water, new roads etc.
Most people nod and agree that Fairtrade is the right way to conduct business, but are worried that being ethical means that your wallet has to suffer. This is an untrue myth: 100g of coffee has the standard price of £2.68 while the average Fairtrade price is £2.50 while a pack of 8 bananas typically costs £1.38, Fairtrade bananas cost £1.15. As students it may be hard to think of anything but Sainsbury’s basics, so when you are considering buying your 55p half a kilo of rice, really question: how on earth can it be so cheap? Who is standing behind this product and hence what it would mean to them for you to invest 50p more?
What was that relationship between price and quality again? Oh yes – inversely proportional. So to help you with taking the step towards more ethical buying, during the Fairtrade Fortnight the Union Newsagent will be selling Ubuntu cola along with the usual Fairtrade products, Catering across the university will be offering prizes for buying Fairtrade via a stamped card system, as well as the ICU Fairtrade society will be hosting a variety of events.
The products will be easy to spot – it’s those marked with the Fairtrade Mark.
