Wednesday 21 October 2009

Fairtrade ups and downs

This week I have been concentrating on Fairtrade. Starting last Saturday with a fair at a local-ish church. This had been arranged all around when I could do it, and it sounded as if it could have been great, taking Fairtrade to a new audience. Except, no-one was interested. A few people came in through the door, and I sold one thing (and that was half price!) I have left catalogues with them so hopefully a few orders may come from that, but I'm not holding my breath.

Today I had a coffee morning at home, invited people from school, from the neighbourhood, from church, and from our brestfeeding support group. Lots of cake, tea and coffee, chatting and browsing of catalogues. It was far more relaxed, far more enjoyable, and Fairtrade products were ordered aplenty!

I have another one to finish off the week at Jo's house, which will be a relaxed affair too, so hopefully a few more Fairtrade Christmas gifts will be given this year.

I was quite shocked by the strength of my emotions regarding the flop on Saturday. I hadn't realised how passionate I had got about Fairtrade. I think what wound me up the most was, people wanting to be seen to be doing Fairtrade, perhaps as if it were some status symbol, but just not committing to it.

I will stop before I launch into a rant! But just to say, please, if you have the choice to choose Fairtrade, just do it. The knowledge that it is free of enforced labour, and is helping communities who are experiencing situations we can barely begin to imagine to get on their feet, is worth those few extra pennies.

7 comments:

  1. Glad today went well; I'm looking forward to some fairtrade muesli for breakfast.

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  2. Totally agree and it's thanks to people like you that slowly, Fairtrade products are becoming much more easy to find. I love shopping in the Coop as Fairtrade products are more available and treated as the norm rather than a special purchase iykwim.

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  3. Well done for sticking with it after the Church episode. So glad your morning went well - they're are some people who care xxx

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  4. Oh what a star you are to be doing all this, and staying positive in the face of great provocation.

    My pet bugbear is that supermarkets stock about twenty different kinds of tea. And usually only ONE fairtrade, the expensive Teadirect caffinated one. :(

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  5. I'm with you 100% Claire. I'm busy converting all our business support staff in the office to ordering fairtrade tea/coffee instead of nescafe! In the hope that if people have it at work they will then start buying it at home! Keep up the good work, it is something worth being passionate about. Clair x

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  6. Clair,

    Traidcraft do a commercial order service. Don't know how cheap it is compared to other places, but might be worth looking at. I tried to convert the boys school but they weren't interested, but might try again, as they have a new caterer now. Thanks for the idea.

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  7. Well done you, I would love to buy more fairtrade, but I do what I can, and Pippa, our local shop has become a co-op and I was 'squealing' round the aisles, 'look their own brand is fairtrade!!!!!' got some funny looks!

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Pull up a chair, have a cuppa and some cake, and if you feel like it, leave a comment.
xx