Seven different things people might not know about Fairtrade
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 02/03/2017
Central England Co-operative is celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight by showcasing seven different things people might not know about Fairtrade.
Fairtrade ensures better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers across the world.
Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from 27 February to 12 March, is organised to remind people of where their food comes from and the people who have produced it.
Here is a list of seven things that people might not know about Fairtrade:
1. Fairtrade means fair prices for farmers in the developing world. When farmers sell on Fairtrade terms, they get a sustainable price and a premium to invest in their communities - a fair return for all their hard work.
2. Farmers who get a fair price can invest in their communities and businesses and are empowered to build a better future. They get a better deal and you can reduce poverty through their everyday shopping.
3. Millions of farmers and workers who produce our first meal of the day miss out on breakfast themselves. 80 per cent of the world’s coffee is produced by 25 million smallholders who live on less than £1.40 a day. If farmers are guaranteed to receive at least the Fairtrade Minimum Price for their coffee, they have a safety net when times are tough.
4. Buying Fairtrade does not have to cost more – there is such a wide range of Fairtrade products from coffee and (priced from £1.99) to breakfast bananas (priced 95p) that there is something for everyone. The Co-operative was the first supermarket to embrace Fairtrade.
5. People should look out for the Fairtrade logo. Products with a Fairtrade mark have met internationally agreed Fairtrade Standards designed to address the imbalance of power of conventional trade. Recognisable items include Irresistible chocolate (which is priced from £1 and will soon be created by using 100 per cent Fairtrade cocoa) and Fairtrade wine (priced from £3.49).
6. Fairtrade is about education. During Fairtrade Fortnight, hundreds of schoolchildren from across Central England Co-operative’s trading area will be visiting stores to take part in Ethical Challenges. They will search for Fairtrade products throughout the store and complete a quiz which helped them to learn about where their food and household products come from, how products can be produced ethically and the wide range of Fairtrade products available.
7. The learning journey of Fairtrade does not end of the till. Many people continue their food education by using Fairtade goods to cook a range of exotic dishes. Find out more about the recipes by visiting https://www.centralengland.coop/food-and-drink
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth – PR officer - Central England Co-operative - 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop