| Change Today , Choose Fairtrade |
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CHANGE TODAY, CHOOSE FAIRTRADE Fairtrade Fortnight is the annual promotional campaign of the Fairtrade Foundation. Events kick off with the Fairtrade Foundation’s Fairground in central London on Sunday 24 February, with events taking place around the country during Fairtrade Fortnight. The aim of the campaign is to challenge people to make small changes in their everyday lives by choosing Fairtrade products when they shop or to purchase across the range, triggering a positive change in people’s lives in developing countries.This action will directly benefit farmers and workers, enabling them to begin to make changes to their lives and environment. There are now around 3000 Fairtrade More than half the population now recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark with sales of Fairtrade goods hitting $450m last year. 
More than half the population now recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark with sales of Fairtrade goods hitting $450m last year. 
certified products available in this country. During the two weeks of Fairtrade Fortnight, shoppers will be encouraged to use new Stock It! postcards to call on supermarkets, independent stores and catering outlets to stock more of their favourite Fairtrade products. Available from www.fairtrade.org.uk, the postcards will list possible Fairtrade product categories which people can mark to indicate the products they want their local stores to stock. The postcards will then be dropped into suggestion boxes or handed into store managers. Another highlight of the Fortnight will be a visit by the Choose Fairtrade Bus, travelling the country offering folk a chance to meet and chat to Fairtrade producers who will speak about the impact of Fairtrade, creating a direct link between the world of the consumer and the world of the producer. The Fairtrade Foundation is using Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 to increase understanding about how the impact of consumer decisions can help tackle poverty in the developing world. Too many producers the world over remain at the sharp end of international trade, often forced to sell their produce for less than the cost of production. Similarly, too many workers in developing countries endure low wages, insecure working conditions and are often denied the right to join a trade union. Besides continuing to lobby governments to make changes to international trade rules so that they work in favour of the poorest countries, incorporating Fairtrade products into our daily shopping routine is a way to send a powerful message to industry and eventually force the conventional players to rethink the impact of their business models. The annual Fairtrade Fortnight is promoted by networks around the country which include: development & campaigning agencies CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Tearfund, Traidcraft Exchange, and churches and faith-based organisations. |
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