World Fairtrade Day

Today is World Fair Trade Day which is a perfect opportunity to celebrate Fairtrade and the impact it has on the lives of farmers, workers and their communities. But this year it is even more special, because we are also celebrating handing in the 15,000 strong Make Food Fair.

Petition! Thanks to each and every one of you who created a mini marcher, signed and shared the petition or organised an event to support the campaign and demand a change. We couldn’t have done it without you!

The mini-marchers teamed up with Oxfam and the Co-operative’s Grow Co-operatives campaign at Downing Street this week to hand in over 75,000 signatures calling on David Cameron to champion a better deal for smallholder farmers. Watch the story of mini marchers and Fairtrade campaigners who joined forces this Fairtrade Fortnight to Make Food Fair here.

But the journey isn’t finished yet – in fact it’s just started! The mini marchers have now infiltrated No 10 by clinging to the petition box! They want to hold David Cameron to account and make sure that he really listens and supports the smallholders during the G8 summit, and we are going to do the same. So stay tuned for updates and keep your fingers crossed for these brave paper activists!

So what is left to do now? Celebrations! Celebrate this World Fair Trade Day by having a Fairtrade breakfast. It is a perfect opportunity to talk about the difference Fairtrade makes to people’s lives while enjoying a delicious cup of aromatic Fairtrade coffee or sharing Fairtrade baked goods with friends and family. And while you’re doing that you can discuss together how you could get involved in the  Enough Food For Everyone IF  campaign and its Big IF  moment on 8 June, which we are proudly supporting. You can also get a bit closer to a dedicated group of Fairtrade farmers in Malawi by asking them a question at 

www.AskMalawi.tv.

Now doesn’t it sound like a perfect Fairtrade recipe for a fantasticSaturday?

Happy World Fair Trade Day!


The Campaigns Team and the mini marchers
Fairtrade Foundation

Int'l Dev Secretary praises Wolverhampton’s fairtrade pioneers

Andrew Mitchell, International Development Secretary, is today visiting Wolverhampton
to taste fairtrade coffee from the city’s new pioneers of fair and ethical trading, Revolver
World, ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight later this month.

Meeting Revolver with the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Bert Turner, and the Executive
Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, Harriet Lamb, Andrew Mitchell said:

“Revolver has proved that fair and ethical trading can be both good for British business
and can transform the lives of the poorest. Making a small change to your weekly shop,
like buying Revolver’s superb Fairtrade coffee can make a real difference to those who
farm these everyday essentials. You are also supporting an iconic local company. I’m
delighted that Wolverhampton is leading the way in bringing new, commercially successful
ways to tackle global poverty.

The visit comes ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight, which highlights that fairtrade goods can
guarantee farmers and producers in the poorest countries receive a fair price for their
produce and boosting their families’ income. The British Government supports the
Fairtrade Foundation to help bring similar promising products to British customers.

Paul Birch, Managing Director of Revolver World said:
"Customers know they can make a difference to the lives of people they will never meet,
when making decisions about what they place into their shopping baskets. Music may
have the power to change people's lives, but we at Revolver Records wanted to do
something more tangible - we're working with famers in Uganda and Tanzania to make
Fairtrade coffee, and cotton growers in India to help us make Fairtrade clothes, all of which
helps them to escape poverty."

Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation said: ‘By supporting
businesses who work in a fair and ethical way with small-holder producers in developing
countries, the government is helping farmers to earn a sustainable living. It’s great to see
Andrew Mitchell encouraging businesses to behave responsibly by creating stronger links
with those farmers and workers on whom they depend.

“Fairtrade is a living example of responsible capitalism – both enabling businesses here to
take a step towards tackling poverty, and a means for smallholders in developing countries
to build their own businesses.’

Useful links:

1. Find out more about how DFID supports Fairtrade here: http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/

Fairtrade working with Sports relief

There is an exciting opportunity for Fairtrade Towns and Cities to get involved with the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile flagship events taking place in one of the following locations on Sunday 25^th March:


London 
Manchester 
Edinburgh 
Glasgow 
Belfast 
Cardiff 
Plymouth 
Southampton 
Brighton and Hove 
Milton Keynes 
Bristol 
Birmingham 
Nottingham 
Norwich 
Leeds 
Hull 
Newcastle 
Gateshead


Fairtrade groups in these locations have been offered the chance to take part by having some kind some of Fairtrade presence, eg holding a stall at each of the Sport Relief Flagship events.


Further details can be found on the Sports Relief website at the following link: http://www.sportrelief.com/the-mile#tab3


This offer does provide a great opportunity to Take a Step for Fairtrade beyond Fairtrade Fortnight in 2012.  But time is running short so if you feel able to take that additional step (or should I say go that extra mile?) for Fairtrade Fortnight this year then please contact me as soon as possible and we shall be delighted to send on further details.


Bruce Crowther Fairtrade Towns Advisor Fairtrade Foundation

Normal working hours: 8am - 4pm Mon, Thurs and Fri.

Tel: 01995 601258

Mobile: 07866 541940

Cocoa Coop visitor will answer your questions

Fairtrade Foundation UK are getting ready to give a warm welcome to cocoa farmer Kouame Alphonse Fasseri on his visit to the UK from 22 – 29 January 2012. Kouame is from the Ivory Coast and a proud member of the Fairtrade co-operative, Kavokiva, who supply cocoa for Nestle’s Fairtrade Kit Kat. Kouame will be taking a break from his busy week to answer your questions and we’ll put them and Kouame’s answers on our website, so check here at the end of January. 

Kavokiva have taken some great steps with Fairtrade, including investing in education and health care for the whole community, as well as making improvements to their cocoa farms. Kouame, also famous from his back-of-Kit Kat pack appearances, is keen to answer your questions.

Send him yours by emailing kouameanswers@fairtrade.org.uk by 21 January 2012.

Tell your friends – and make this one of your first steps for Fairtrade in 2012.

We are looking forward to reading your questions!

Fairtrade Foundation

Do you like Harry's Nuts?

Harry is a great (if not the greatest) nut artist.  But do you think your nuts are better than Harry's?  If so, we want your Fairtrade Food Photo for our competition!

See link above for competition details

Campaigners voice in the Fairtrade Foundation

Midlands and North Wales Region Networking

Bringing people together to agree recommendations for how the Fairtrade Foundation can best enable campaigners to have a voice. 


3rd September 2011 
10:00 to 4:00 
Function Room, 
Midlands Co-operative Society Member Relations Centre,  
Birmingham Midlands Institute www.bmi.org.uk/map.html 


To register:  http://fs16.formsite.com/FairtradeFoundation/form1/index.html 


The event will also include an opportunity to hear the latest news and updates from the Fairtrade Foundation and plenty of time for regional networking and sharing ideas and ambitions with other campaigners. Working with staff from the Fairtrade Foundation, some of the day will be dedicated to regional planning and plotting - ‘where do we want to go in our region?’ What could we do together to take Fairtrade forward in our area, county or region? What do we see as the ‘biggest campaign wins’ and are we more likely to get there by combining forces? Who know’s who, who’s good at what and how can we become stronger through campaigning together?  


The event We'll be using Crowd Wise, a consensus voting technique, that allows a group to discuss, refine and decide on (or prioritise) proposals for change. See www.neweconomics.org/projects/crowd-wise

FAB Food Photos

Fairtrade drinks in Kings Heath

All Saints Church Church, a FAB affiliated church, has conducted it's own survey to track down fairtrade drinks in Kings Heath.  We encourage anyone who is interested in surveying, or sells fairtrade, please contact us.  We want to promote all fair and ethical trading businesses in Birmingham.


Please take a photo of fairtrade goods as you find them, add location and email to us (fairtradebirmingham@googlegroups.com) we can add to our database.


If you are a twitterer, why not photo fairtrade goods, add #ftlabel and location and forward to @fairtradebrum?


Thanks to everyone at All Saints!


Parish survey on fairtrade tea / coffee

Establishment Fairtrade products

High St

Station Pub coffee
Freshways supermarket none
KFC tea
Subway none
Buywise coffee
Asda tea, coffee
Goose pub tea, coffee
Jangles (Inshops) none
Baptist church coffee shop tea, coffee
Delicious tea, coffee
Razzels tea, coffee
Hare & Hounds pub none
Poundland none
Caffe Latte tea, decaf coffee
Pear Tree pub none
Ali's food store none
Sainsbury's tea, coffee



Station Rd

Nisa supermarket tea, coffee



York Rd

Kitchen Garden cafe tea, coffee
York cafe none
Kings convenience store none



Silver St

Lidl tea, coffee
Quids Worth none
Kings sandwich bar none



Poplar Rd

Maison Mayci tea, sugar
Cafe Organic tea, coffee




Alcester Lane's End

Tesco tea, coffee
Mrs Beeton's kitchen none
Sid's Convenience grocery none
Cocks Moor leisure centre cafe none
" Klix machine tea, coffee

Iceland none
Viva cafe none

For further information contact Dr. Mary Taylor, cmarktaylor@hotmail.com or Professor John Hull, j.hull@queens.ac.uk

The Parish Office

All Saints Church

2 Vicarage Road

Kings Heath

Birmingham

B14 7RA

Fairtrade Fortnight Campaigns Special

Forward to a friend

Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 campaigns special

The Fairtrade Fortnight countdown has begun! It's only three weeks until the nation goes wild getting loud and proud about the Fairtrade label for two weeks. Are you prepared? There's still time to order posters, stickers, t-shirts, postcards and more - so from showing off the label in your front room window to organising a fashion show, we have the wherewithal to help. Order yours here. The Great Cotton Stitch-Up Our campaign for trade justice for West African cotton farmers is picking up momentum. Have you taken action yet? There are a host of things you can do to help from emailing government minister Caroline Spelman to visiting your local MEPs. Read more, get involved and download our MEP guide here. We are also at the World Social Forum in Senegal this week, where The Great Cotton Stitch-Up will be discussed at an event with African campaign groups. Keep an eye on the website for updates. Bunting for justice You can also get creative by joining in with our attempt to create the world's longest string of bunting to demonstrate support for Fairtrade and our demand for trade justice for cotton farmers. Order Fairtrade cotton bunting flags and sew, paint, draw and stick your messages to them, then show them off. Read more and order your bunting here.  Event Calendar A Fair Story If you are organising events in Fortnight, please add them to our online event calendar for everyone to see. Find out what is happening locally and get involved, or go along to events in your region. Watch and appear in this brand new, very original and innovative film that invites you to be part of the story of Fairtrade. It's an interactive experience - try it here! 'I am happy that my children will get a better education and my hope is that they will go to university. This wouldn't have been possible before Fairtrade.' Moussa Keita, Fairtrade cotton farmer, Mali

This Fairtrade Fortnight get loud and proud about Fairtrade by asking everyone to Show Off Your Label.  Show off your passion, your favourite product, your favourite clothes and send in your photos by email, facebook, blog or twitter (#ftlabel, #fairtrade), take part or run your own ‘Kit on’ event (see below).



This year we are highlighting the injustices that make Fairtrade a vital lifeline for cotton farmers in West Africa and India.  As part of Fairtrade Fortnight, Fairtrade Association Birmingham is asking you to get your kit on for fairtrade.  We are asking you to simply pile on your fairtrade clothes and forward your photos.  Why not go one step further and organise a ‘Kit on’ party?  If you are a teacher, can you run a fairtrade assembly?  Could you run competitive ‘Kit-on’s and show us your photos?
 

If you need resources or ideas, help or support with activities in schools, check out the following links:

www.fairtrade.org.uk

http://www.fairtradeschools.org/activities/
http://www.fairtradeschools.org/schools-area/
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools/
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/category.htm?30
http://www.fairtraderesource.org/
http://www.cafod.org.uk/secondary/fairtrade
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/100006/schools.html

http://www.youngco-operatives.coop/

http://www.enterprisevillage.org.uk/cooperateforchange/welcome.html

http://www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics/Ethical-trading/Fairtrade/Get-involved/Fairtrade-friendly-schools/

Show off your label!

Use facebook, twitter, whatever to show off your label.

Email to us to have your labels shown off on our blog!

see #ftlabel or #fairtrade for more