Guest Post: Take A Step for Fairtrade in 2012. What Will Yours Be?

This year we are challenging the UK to take 1.5 million steps for Fairtrade in 2012.  A step could be small – like swapping your tea to Fairtrade, or big – like organising an event.  Why 1.5 million steps? Because that’s one for every famer and worker we aim to support in 2012.

Why should you take a step for Fairtrade?

Trade isn’t working for the world’s poorest. In these tough economic times it is the poorest who suffer first and worst. Half the World’s hungriest people are farmers, which is unfair when many of them also grow the products that we enjoy every day. Choosing Fairtrade offers farmers and workers a better chance to work their own way out of poverty. Through fairer wages, safer conditions at work and a little extra payment, called the Fairtrade premium, they can invest in projects to improve life for their whole communities.

At the Fairtrade Foundation, we want to see more individuals and businesses buying and selling Fairtrade products in the UK. The more that people like you and me support Fairtrade, the more farmers and workers will be able to improve their lives through the better terms of trade it offers. With Fairtrade every step counts.

Buy Fairtrade – you’d be bananas not to

There are people in the Windward Islands who say Fairtrade has saved the islands’ banana industry. Conrad’s one of them.

He grows bananas on his five acre farm for export for the UK. He has seen firsthand how the islands’ economy has suffered under trade rules that made it harder for his bananas to keep their place on UK shelves against cheaper imports from Latin America. He believes people choosing Fairtrade do a great thing. ‘You help a community you don’t know… that’s marvellous.’ And Fairtrade has helped Conrad’s community.

The Fairtrade premium the farmers get for every box of bananas has been invested in buying fans for the local medical centre, to keep patients cool, and improvements to the local school.

Conrad James, banana farmer, St Lucia 

How can you help?

1. Add your steps to www.fairtrade.org.uk/step
2. Tweet your steps for Fairtrade using #takeastep #fairtradefortnight, #fairtrade
3. Watch, like and share our film on YouTube

Currently households in the UK spend just £1 per week on Fairtrade products – that’s less than one bunch of bananas or one cup of takeaway coffee.  Imagine what could be done if we could double this to just £2 a week?

PLEASE TAKE A STEP FOR FAIRTRADE IN 2012.  WHAT WILL YOURS BE?

Related posts:

1. Guest Post: Green Travel for 2012
2. Guest Post: 3 Outstanding Eco Spas to Relax in 2012
3. Dr. Bronner’s Fairtrade Fortnight
4. Guest Post: 5 reasons to visit Ireland this St Patrick’s Day 2012
5. Fairtrade advice from Essential Trading

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