Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

The Co-operative has kept to its fairtrade ethos whilst others have clearly dropped off the bandwagon in the "boom years". The message this year is "The Big Swop". More details here.

Olive Co-ops Come to Chorlton

Chorlton's Big Green Festival on Saturday 4th April.
The Olive Co-op will be there :-
"Olive Co-operative seeks to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by Palestinians, and to support those working for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. It aims to do this by three main means: sponsorship of new olive trees, arranging tours to Palestine and Israel, and selling Palestinian fairly traded goods in the UK."
There is a lot of events, food, bicycle parade, films etc... on at the Green Festival so you need to check their website.

Unicorn Co-operative Grocery in Chorlton on Sunday 5th April.
Sindyanna of Galilee will be there
"this is an organisation based on co-operation between Palestinian and Jewish people, founded on a mutual belief in equality and Palestinian right to self-determination. Sindyanna founders, Samia Nasser and Hadas Lahav, will be offering samples of their range of high quality, popular products including extra virgin organic olive oil, olive oil soap (plain and with four blends), olive wood soap dish, za'atar herb mixture, carob syrup, baskets and artwork."

Fairtrade Fortnight 2009

It's that time of year again ,23rd February thru 8th March, when Fairtrade issues are highlighted. 2008 saw lots of events, film showings and publicity. This year with economic bleakness dominating the media things are bound to be a little less exuberant.

A view is that consumers generally trade down to cheaper options, and budget supermarkets in a recession. Confectionery, tea and coffee sales have been pretty much recession proof as they are the one luxury customers console themselves with...

Events noted so far in Manchester are at the 8th Day Co-operative, 111 Oxford Road with fair trade games, tombola (don't you just love that Italian word - from tombolare - to somersault) and tastings. Details here.

Fair & Square in Manchester

Fair and Square is a project of the Co-operative College and they're organising a meeting / seminar or is it conference - it's from 1000h until 1630h so it lasts a long time.

Trying to be an ethical shopper on Saturday 10th May at the Mechanics Institute. Nothing about it on the website at the moment but I've an email address if you need more details.

Lots of issues like fairtrade, climate change, GM crops, organics, air miles...

Fair & Square Project

The Fair and Square project aims to bring information to concerned consumers through a programme of educational work within the co-operative movement. It's being run by the Co-operative College with funding from the Department for International Development.
Website.

Fairtrade Hamper Winner

Well, I entered my 100% Fairtrade meal into a competition organised by Fairtrade Woman. Guess what, I won and hopefully a hamper of Fairtrade products will be arriving soonish.. Now to organise a something to share this dividend.

Previous entry Breakfast, Dinner and Wine. Forthcoming will be the recipe for "Chocolate Salami" so you can use up all those bars of Fairtrade chocolate bars and impress your friends and comrades.

Fairtrade Round Up & Video

Fairtrade Fortnight has come to an end. The news has all been positive. Sales in 2007 are nearly double that of 2006, Tate & Lyle will be converting their whole range of sugars to fairtrade and The Co-operative will be switching all their hot beveages to fairtrade too. Lots of events, plenty of publicity and even little stories like Manchester Cathedral switching to fairtrade communion wine.

Above is a short video of our contribution the showing of Black Gold movie with two guests from a cocoa co-operative in Ghana.

Smart Planet Site

Not sure how long the Smart Planet website has been around but it's publishing lots of fairtrade, eco-friendly, organic, low-carbon news, reviews, and videos.

Some recent examples - five things you never knew could be fairtrade, like Euro notes issued by the Netherlands in this Story. Even more obscure fairtrade products like a webcam, necklace and trainers in another story.

Well worth a visit, or if you're a rapid surfer like myself putting the RSS feed into a Netvibes page..

Is it it fair without the logo?

The Fairtrade logo licensed from the Fairtrade Foundation certifies a product is fairtrade. But it does cost money to obtain one. Interesting article in the current issue of Ethical Consumer (No. 111 March / April 2008 - not available online though) which is an interview with Nasser Abu Farha, founder of the Palestinian Fair Trade Assocation. Their products are sold by Zaytoun in the UK and include organic olive oil, soap, almonds, medjoul dates, and za'atar spice mix. However there is no Fairtrade logo though everybody from the growers to the suppliers say they are trading fairly.

You'd be right to be very sceptical if some major corporation came out with fairtrade claims, but then by-passing the bureaucratic hoops and not paying the fees to the Fairtrade Foundation. But there can be bilateral agreements between growers and sellers which are based on fairtrade principles and prices but not carrying the logo.

Related post 16/11/2007 - Olive Oil Meeting

Ethical Clothing : Manchester

The positive aspect of Fairtrade Fortnight is that it raises awareness with the media spotlight even if it's only for a couple of weeks. In tonight's Manchester Evening News was a story about Arkadash in Chorlton who sell fairly traded, sweatshop-free, recycled and organic clothing all 52 weeks of the year.

The article is titled 'eco boutique', that's the Evening News, you'd never guess it was the same news corporation as The Guardian if you've ever read a copy. Read it here. There is also an Arkadash in Leeds.

Related earlier weblog post.

Fair Trade Online Discussion

Missed taking part in the online discussion hosted by The Co-operative today. The topic was Fairtrade Campaigning. But I've read the questions and answers and some interesting ideas came up. A focus on fairtrade cotton for Manchester next year, given our historic links with this textile. Live video link-ups between schools in Garstang and Ghana, and having a Ubuntu fairtrade cola v. Pepsi / Coke challenge.
If you are a member of The Co-operative, and can find your membership number on you card, then you can log in and read.
P.S. One of our own members Cllr. Sue Murphy was in the panel. There is another online discussion on fairtrade on March 5th.

El Alto Tough But Fair

This week we'll be mainly blogging about fairtrade. El Alto produces outdoor clothing and equipment which has been ethically sourced and manufactured in Bolivia. Personally I never go near a mountain but I've bought some of their thermals and fleeces - just the job for a watching a winter football fixture. Not bulky, just fashionable, British designed and Bolivian made. You can read about it on their website.
For locals you can nip to Arkadash in Chorlton (also in Leeds) the shop that stocks fairtrade or organic clothing. 20% discounts on offer in Fairtrade Fortnight. P.S. I don't get paid to plug this stuff.

Successful Fairtrade Showing

Over 100 people came out to see the showing of "Black Gold", which in these of many distractions is a good muster. As a bonus we got to meet Christiana and Comfort from the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa co-operative in Ghana over in the UK to promote fairtrade. What a contrast. You meet people who talk about the schools, health care and clean water that's come from having a sustainable price for their commodities. Then you watch a film of Ethiopia, a country that grows quality coffee but receives starvation wages for it.
Picture is : myself (Co-op Party), John Hacking (Chorltonparklabour), Comfort (Kuapa Kokoo), Paul Murphy (Co-op Party), Cllr Sue Murphy (Chair of the Fairtrade Manchester steering group). Little movie of the event to follow....

Breakfast, Dinner & Wine

No use banging on about fairtrade if you don't buy into it. So here we have:

a) Fairtrade breakfast that's OJ, some of the muesli, banana, but not the soya milk.

b) 100% Fairtrade dinner.
Red quinoa, Nut Koftas (brazils and cashews, ground and fried), fried banana (the unripest ones I could find in the Co-op), Mango relish (re-hydrated sun dried mango coated in mango chutney). Apart from the mango it all has a co-op connection, either Suma or The Co-operative.

c) Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape which I've not tried yet but as it won "The Best Vegan Fairly Traded Product" award for 2008 thought I'd pop it in the basket, or was the 20% off attraction.

Visitors from Ghana

It's more than a rumour but coming to the showing of Black Gold on Wednesday there might be two visitors from Kuapa Kokoo the co-operative in Ghana that grows cocoa beans that go into Divine Chocolate.

Hopefully we'll hear first hand of this fairtrade success story.

Fairtrade Woman

For Fairtrade Fortnight I'll be seeking out local fairtrade activity - don't have to wait long as we're showing Black Gold this Wednesday 27th February in Chorlton.

If you're on Facebook you might want to check out Fairtrade Woman who'll be surviving on nothing but Fairtrade food for two weeks. There are some competitions with prizes you can enter by designing a 100% or a 50% fairtrade meal. As a dab hand at home cooking I'll be publishing my entry this week. If you don't know what quinoa is you'd better Google it now.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 - Part 1

Fairtrade Fortnight 25 February - 9 March 2008 is only days away. The Co-operative have got off the mark early 'cos when I popped into my local store I found these fairtrade cotton bags on offer to shoppers. Expected to pay but didn't get charged. Surely some mistake as it's good quality bag complete with gusset - and you always want a gusset.

There is a 20% discount on Faitrade products. Thought I'd start with some bananas, a malbec ( red wine) from Argentina, fairtrade muesli and some brazil nuts....more

Black Gold Award

Congrats to the makers of 'Black Gold', Nick and Mark Francis, co-directors and co-producers who won the award for "best achievement in production" at the British Independent Film Awards in London.

There are plans in hand to show the film, free of charge, to members and non-members as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 25th February - 9th March 2008. If you can't wait until then, the DVD is available now.

Fair Trade Petition

There is an e-petition to be sent to No.10 Downing Street...you may wish to add your support it only takes a minute....
"Make Europe’s trade deals with poor countries fair"
Only weeks to go, the EU is putting intense pressure on 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to sign free trade agreements that pose serious risks to jobs, livelihoods, economies and the environment. Sign this petition and ask Gordon Brown to make trade work for some of the world’s poorest people.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/unfairtrade/

Fair Trade, Fair Isle Xmas

It's only a few weeks to go before xmas, and all that consumerism and indulgence that passes for a festive occasion. You don't want to read that. So how about some Fair Trade Chocolate Gold Coins, and didn't we all love those as kids. Produced by Divine Chocolate (fairtrade cocoa, and as ever in this blog a co-operative). Photographed in my friend's shop - Arkadash, Chorlton. It sells organic and fairtrade clothes and gift items.


Intrigued by an article in The New Statesman To Knit or Not To Knit? about real Fair Isle woolies. There is a co-operative that produces them - Fair Isle Crafts. Not sure you can buy them in Manchester, which is a pity. Reading between the lines there is a need for fair trade between a part of the UK, a mere 3 degrees north of here, 5 degrees north of London.