Fairtrade Fortnight takes place on 22nd Feb – 7th March, and this year the theme is The Big Swap.
What does this mean? Well, take a look at the stuff you buy. Clothes. Chocolate. Drinks. What do you go for? The one that tastes or looks the best, or the one that is cheapest?
What if just by buying something down the local shop, you could really make a difference?
You might have seen the Fairtrade logo make more and more appearances on the High Street. From t-shirts to tea, bananas to beauty products, there are loads of products out there with the Fairtrade seal of approval.
What does fairtrade mean? Basically, it means that the people that made the product you use get a decent amount of money in return.
That sounds fair, doesn’t it? If you worked for a living making something that the whole world could use, you’d expect a tidy sum of money, wouldn’t you?
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Cotton for clothes and cocoa for chocolate are often farmed in developing countries like those in Africa, and the workers on the farms can be paid a tiny amount of money.
Fairtrade aim to make this a thing of the past. They work closely with the farmers and the workers that bring us these everyday items that we take for granted and make sure they get a decent living wage.
So what can you do?
Well, next time your sweet tooth is calling you, why not see if there is any Fairtrade chocolate available in your shop? Need some new clothes? Topshop and Topman now have special Fairtrade Cotton lines.
And it doesn’t stop there! Check out the Fairtrade website to find out more ways you can make The Big Swap during Fairtrade Fortnight. And if you can’t find anything in the shops, ask them why!
Leave a comment below with what you’re gonna swap!