A GFA representative attended and talked with business people there about whether they used Fairtrade or would consider doing so to raise the ethical status of their business. We had some interesting conversations! Most were committed to being sustainable in the interests of the environment and climate change. We need to emphasise how producers need a living income – which the fair prices, premium, and training Fairtrade enables them to achieve – if they are to have the capacity to farm sustainably as they adapt to climate change. Only then will they be able to continue to grow the products we love, like coffee and chocolate.
GFA had a display and used the opportunity to network with the local businesses who had been nominated for an award:
GFA display about businesses using Fairtrade Products with Annelies James (right), of 22Midnight, who was one of the event organisers, and Andy Grant, (left) Principal of St Vincent College. The event was held in the Jervis Gallery at St Vincent College.
April 19th 2024 – Consultation with MP
GFA’s Chair, Mark Smith (centre) and Co-ordinator, Sarah Hirom (right) met with Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP (left), to discuss how we could involve more local businesses in Fairtrade. She had some useful suggestions which we are now following up
March 5th 2024 – Portsmouth celebrates 20 Years as a Fairtrade City
We have received this sad news from Zaytoun: “We are very sad to announce that Riziq Abyu Nasser, an olive farmer we have worked with for many years, has died after a long illness. We send our condolences to his wife and three children, and remember him very warmly.
Way back, as Zaytoun was just starting out, Riziq was the first farmer to agree to meet with our founders to hear more about what Zaytoun was aiming to do, and was one of the few that believed it could work.
There will be many of our supporters who will also remember him, as he has been to the UK twice to join us for Fairtrade Fortnight. (see picture above) He came to share his story of olive farming in Deir Istya, an historic area in the Salfit region of the West Bank, and talk about the impact Fairtrade has made.
Before selling to the Fairtrade market, his community was only selling to Gaza and the Gulf States and not even covering cost of production. He told audiences in UK: “By buying our oil you are saving our lives, the future of our children, and you are helping to save our land.” “
I
Kenyan Fairtrade roses still have a smaller environmental footprint than roses produced in Holland, even when factoring in transport to Europe, a new report confirms.
Published in February, the report finds that Fairtrade cut roses from Kenya – whether transported to Switzerland by air or sea – had a lower impact across several environmental areas, including greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
The Fairtrade Foundation announced in February that “every single banana bought at Sainsbury’s will contribute towards paying thousands of workers a fairer wage, supporting the future of banana growers.
Sainsbury’s is the first UK retailer to pay the Fairtrade Living Wage Reference Price, which is the price paid to a specific banana producer. If paid for each box sold, it ensures that all workers on a banana plantation earn at least a gross Living Wage. This will benefit approximately 12,000 workers in Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Ghana.”
This has been made possible through the Sainsbury’s and Fairtrade partnership, and collaboration with banana growers and supplier Fyffes which has supported Sainsbury’s to make a number of other positive changes to its sourcing practices. This includes moving to four-year sourcing contracts with suppliers and growers, meaning farmers, workers and plantations have greater stability, financial security, and can invest in higher wages in the long-term.
GFA’s chair presented the new Fairtrade Community Certificate to Mayor, Martin Pepper. He explained what GFA and Council had done to earn the certificate and what more we might be able to do together. Full text of the presentation – here.
October 1st 2023 is International Coffee Day 
Think you know coffee? Take the Fairtrade coffee quiz! START How did you do? 10/10? – Brilliant! Any less? – Find out more – here
September 2nd 2023 Do you know where your Fairtrade favourites come from? Take the new “Where in the Fairtrade world” quiz to find out. Get 5 out of 5 to be in with a chance to win a bundle of Fairtrade goodies! Take the Quiz here 
March 2022 – Lidl converts staff uniforms to Fairtrade. Lidl GB has announced that it will be the first UK retailer to convert all its cotton staff uniforms to Fairtrade, the independent, third-party certification that partners with farmers and workers to negotiate better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal overall. The uniform range is being rolled out across all stores, with a commitment to purchase 330,000 shirts, trousers, polo tops and chinos, and will be worn by the retailer’s 22,000 store colleagues. This equates to a volume of 175 metric tonnes of Fairtrade certified cotton, benefitting farmers in India.
👍
“We’re delighted to be the first UK retailer to convert all of our store team uniforms to Fairtrade cotton, opening up a valuable market for Fairtrade cotton farmers around the world.
Not only will this move significantly benefit the farmers who grow the cotton in our uniforms, but it will mean that our store colleagues will have access to uniforms made from high quality, sustainably sourced fabric which they can wear with great pride.
Lidl GB sell over 100 different types of Fairtrade certified products every year, as well as being the UK’s largest retailer of Fairtrade cocoa – with 22% of the Fairtrade cocoa sold in the UK coming from Lidl GB. We are also pleased to announce that following a successful trial period, our scrummy caramelised almonds and sea salt Way To Go! Chocolate bar is going to be sold nationwide from mid-March – so keep your eyes peeled in your local store! “
Amali Bunter, Lidl GB’s Head of Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade
