It’s Fairtrade Fortnight

#FairtradeFortnight (FF) runs from 23 February to 8 March.  It’s all about raising awareness of Fairtrade products and benefits.

According to Fairtrade’s own statistics, while 78% of UK consumers are aware of the name and logo, more than half still don’t choose these products.  It turns out people don’t really know what the organisation does or the benefits it brings.

So what’s it all about?

When you buy a Fairtrade product, the small-scale farmer or producer that supplies it gets more money and has better working conditions than they normally would.   In turn, these small producers have to meet certain social, economic and environmental standards.

The extra money earned from being part of #Fairtrade goes back into their communities for education, healthcare and to help build their businesses further.

So what you put on your shopping list, for example, for coffee or sugar or tea, can improve lives in farming communities across the world, who often need all the help they can get.  Here, let the banana explain.

Of course, Euroffice is already on point here.  We carry a wide range of Fairtrade products, from instant Colombian coffee to Rooibos tea, from sachets of sugar to Cadbury Heroes chocolates.

But what we’re hoping is that consumers spend a bit more time thinking about what they’re buying and why. If you’re in the supermarket and umming and aaahing over which bananas to put into your basket, why not tick off your #GoodDeedoftheDay and buy the bananas that help change people’s lives?

Likewise, if you’re a retailer won’t it make you feel good to carry products that do good?  And don’t forget that karma can be good for the cash register – your customers will see the Fairtrade logo and be glad that they’ve got greater purchasing options.

Whether you’re a customer or a business owner, if you want to get further involved with #FairtradeFortnight, head over to its website and see what resources are available to download.

But the best thing you can do is to make sure that the products you buy carry the Fairtrade mark, whether you purchase online or in person.