Fairtrade Fortnight is running from the 26th February – 11th March this year. Fairtrade products ensure decent working conditions, local sustainability, better prices and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
Buying Fairtrade is easy. There are over 4,500 Fairtrade products from food and drink, to clothes and even gold. So if you’re looking to become a more ethical consumer, keep reading for our top tips on how to make it happen.
Start with the easy items
There are a few everyday items that are easy to swap out for Fairtrade versions, such as bananas and chocolate. One in three bananas bought in the UK is Fairtrade and it makes a huge difference to thousands of farmers, workers and their families. So whether you’re after one of your five a day or more of a sugar hit, why not see if you can swap your snack of choice for a Fairtrade option?
Look for Fairtrade toiletries
Small-scale farmers in over 50 countries, including Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Dominican Republic produce ingredients such as coconut, argan, apricot and brazil nut oils for toiletries, including skincare, hygeine and beauty products. When you buy Fairtrade, these producers get a fair price and support to invest in community projects, from clean drinking water to improving their local healthcare. You can find Fairtrade beauty products stocked on the high street and in supermarkets, as well as online.
Empower others through your wardrobe
You can also make the swap to Fairtrade clothes which ensure fairer prices for low paid cotton workers. Key brands to look out for are People Tree, Zady, Everlane, and Patagonia. You can even find Fairtrade clothes on mainstream clothing websites, such as ASOS, by filtering your search to show only Eco brands when shopping.
Special occasions
If you’re splashing out on a piece of real gold jewellery, make sure you’re not paying for a product that came from exploitation. An estimated 16 million small scale miners work in dangerous conditions around the world to provide gold that ends up on our high streets. These small-scale miners are often exploited by middle men, and forced to handle hazardous chemicals such as mercury, work in harsh, precarious conditions and live in poverty. Shop for Fairtrade gold now
Don’t underestimate your purchasing power
By making Fairtrade purchases you can make a difference to someone else’s life.
Our Jump programmes reward employees for making positive purchases and spreading the word about ethical shopping in the workplace. For more information about Jump or to request a case study, visit www.teamjump.co.uk or email [email protected].
