Archive
January 2008
Buyers begin to cotton on
A SMALL village in Mali is not usually where you expect to run into a buyer from British high-street stores Topshop, Marks & Spencer or Debenhams, but the landlocked African country is increasingly playing host to some of the world's top retailers as they battle it out to prove their ethical credentials.
Demand for Fairtrade and organic cotton, much of which is grown by small producers in poor countries such as Mali, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, is expected to balloon this year as stores draw on one of the best-known ethical brands.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22994714-5010800,00.html
Fair enough?
Cadbury hopes to secure its cocoa supply with a new scheme
TIMES have not been sweet lately for Cadbury Schweppes, the world's biggest confectioner by sales. Nelson Peltz, an American activist investor, is waging a campaign for more influence over the management of the British company. Prices for raw materials are at record highs. Policymakers are stepping up their campaigns to warn consumers about the dangers of obesity. And Cadbury is uncertain about how to proceed with its plan to demerge its fizzy-drinks business, given the turbulence in the financial markets.
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=478044&story_id=10609020
February 2008
Kenyan flower growers are set to reap the benefits of Fairtrade certification this week, as more Valentine's shoppers in Europe opt for ethically grown roses.
Sales of Fairtrade flowers in the UK, the second biggest Fairtrade market in Europe, hit an estimated 72 million stems during 2007, according to the Fairtrade Foundation, up from 47 million the prior year. They had already almost trebled between 2005 and 2006.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802121113.html
March 2008
Tate & Lyle sugar to be Fairtrade
Tate & Lyle sugar Tate & Lyle sugar sold in shops is to be Fairtrade accredited, making it the biggest UK firm to carry the label.
Granulated white cane sugar will be the brand's first Fairtrade product but it says it expects its entire retail range to follow by the end of 2009.
To earn a Fairtrade label, firms must pay local producers a fair price, and invest further to improve working conditions and local sustainability.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7260000/7260211.stm
Fairtrade 'farce' says tea tycoon
Merrill J. Fernando says Fairtrade is just another trendy brand.
The founder of global tea brand Dilmah says the Fairtrade labelling scheme is a well-intentioned "farce" that does little but put money into the pockets of middle-sellers.
Sri Lankan businessman Merrill J. Fernando - well-known for his television advertisements inviting us to try Dilmah tea - spoke to the Herald on a visit to New Zealand last week with his son Dilhan.
"It's no more than another marketing strategy," he said of the Fairtrade label, which is designed to give a warrant of ethics to produce from developing countries.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10498527
APril 2008
Fair trade in the coffee business
UNDER gigantic weeping fig trees, behind a blue roller door in a Brisbane footy shed, Marty Richards is firing up his 1957 Probat coffee roaster.
"I had my heart set on it," says Richards, who gazes at this silver hunk of cast-iron in such a way you'd swear it was love.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23459916-5013511,00.html
May 2008
Does Fairtrade boost church outreach?
Fairtrade Fortnight begins in Australia this week, your.sydneyanglicans.net asks whether church-Fairtrade partnerships is a viable option in Sydney. Over 90 per cent of the individuals who sell the UK’s leading fairtrade organisation’s products are committed Christians who operate out of local churches. Could this English model work in Sydney?
http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/does_fairtrade_boost_church_outreach/
June 2008
Fairtrade: An Ethics Girl for our times
Britain now leads the world in buying Fairtrade goods. Cassandra Jardine meets the driving force behind the movement
I'm confused, I tell Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation. I buy chocolate and bananas that bear the Fairtrade sticker because it is a Good Thing, but I cannot understand why fairly priced third world produce is represented by what I see as a hawk's beak.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2008/02/06/ftfairtrade106.xml
Kenya: New Fairtrade Cola Takes On the World's Top Brands
A new Fairtrade cola, made with sugar sourced in Africa, is taking on the world's biggest brand tapping on the rise in "ethical" shopping.
Ubuntu cola, named after the word Bantu meaning humanity or kindness, sells at a premium of 15 per cent above Coca-Cola, but has already reached Sweden's main grocery and convenience stores less than a year after its launch.
It is also available in hundreds of smaller cafes and shops in the UK, Ireland and Norway.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806171153.html
FLO-certified fairtrade shop opens in Taipei
GO WITH THE FLO: Consumers can now buy coffee products from developing countries and cut out the middle-man at Taiwan's first fairtrade coffee shop
The nation's first fair trade shop licensed by the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) International, headquartered in Germany, opened in Taipei recently, enabling consumers to buy products made in developing countries while helping them benefit through trade.
Oko Green, established and run by Hsu Wen-yen, is a cozy little coffee shop nestled in a quiet lane off of Xuzhou Road, and offers coffee beans — both via the Internet or at his shop — along with freshly made coffee.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/06/30/2003416144/print
FAIR TRADE FIESTA REPORT
Fair Trade food is delicious, a point proved most powerfully at the recent Fair Trade Fiesta in Paddington. At 6pm, May 10, the doors of the town hall were opened to the public for the main event of the evening featuring Fair Trade stalls, an insight into the effects of Fair trade by coffee farmer Guillermo Vargas and food prepared by Kylie Kwong and her restaurant team.
Throughout the day, and night, over 700 people, including school children, were able to come along, learn about Fair Trade, and sample Fair Trade delicacies. The night event was a chance to buy a huge range of Fair Trade items and to find out different ways of supporting and becoming involved in the work of Fair Trade throughout Australia. It was also a chance to hear of the impact Fair Trade was making globally. An evocative presentation by Guillermo Vargas, a coffee farmer from Costa Rica, shared his experiences of Fair Trade and the difference it has made to his life and that of his community. He spoke about how Fair Trade ensures 5% of the money the plantation receives for its produce goes back into community development, a total of around $500,000 so far. He also spoke of the impact this has made to the lives of the children in the community, many of whom are able to receive further education because of financial support coming from the plantation.
His presentation, however, also highlighted the need for greater growth in the Fair Trade industry, quoting only 30% of his produce is able to be sold as certified Fair Trade because there is no demand for the other 70% which is still sold on the normal, exploitative, market. This speech was very powerful as it allowed an insight into the effect of Fair Trade on the ground, the real impact it has on individuals not just on market statistics.
As a volunteer on the evening I was really inspired by the passion of so many of the Fair Trade groups present on the night. All the stall holders was so willing to share about Fair Trade, their products and the impact of their work. It was so refreshing to hear of companies being passionate not about profit but people. I was also surprised about the variety of Fair Trade products available from Fair Trade rice through to jeans, shoes and soccer balls! It was an excellent opportunity for the public to be welcomed into a relaxed environment where they could buy, sample and learn more about Fair Trade from groups who supported it so wholeheartedly.
The attendance at the Fiesta was an excellent reflection of growing awareness regarding Fair Trade in Australia. Although fair trade Fortnight has now officially ended it has set an encouraging tone for the year to come. For an interesting round up of media articles see: www.fta.org.au.
As a sidenote, Fair Trade chocolate should come with a health warning, I’m completely addicted . I’m just going to pretend Fair Trade equates to super healthy…
Libby Collison
