Fairtrade Fortnight in 2004 (March 1-14) ñ will mark the 10th birthday of the FAIRTRADE brand. The theme, ëA Taste for Life' is designed to be a celebration of quality, both quality of life of producers, for which the Fairtrade premium is charged to enhance, and the quality of the products.
The FAIRTRADE Mark is on an apparently inexorable rise, as consumers react to the message that their choice can make a positive difference to the lives of farmers and workers in the developing world.
“From school tuckshops to smart hotels, Fairtrade is now moving into the mainstream. The past 10 years have been a quiet revolution as more and more people choose foods with the FAIRTRADE Mark. People are starting to see Fairtrade as part of their lifestyle. And this is only the beginning, Fairtrade is the food of the future,” says Fairtrade Foundation executive director Harriet Lamb.
“Bananas are a great example of how consumer power works,” she adds. “It's so tempting to pick up that cheap bunch, but the rock bottom prices mean that banana plantations are being closed down. Too often, prices to farmers don't even pay the cost of production and hundreds of banana farmers are living in poverty. Buying Fairtrade means the farmers can stay on the land and keep farming. So your decision at the banana stand has a powerful impact.”
From January onwards, celebratory activities to mark the 10th birthday of the Fairtrade social movement will start gearing up. There are now 140 products on shop shelves, ranging from bananas, chocolate, coffee, tea, fruit, juices, snack bars and even a Christmas pudding. Products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark are now served in government departments, top hotels, cafés and restaurants. Twenty nine towns have proved such a commitment that they have become Fairtrade Towns and 80 more, including London, are aiming for this status, and entire universities are also switching to Fairtrade.
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