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Sarah
Brazier, Fairtrade Foundation. Darrell Binding, Coop Member Pioneer,
Leigh-on-Sea. Gina Cox, Leigh Road Baptist Social Justice Network and
Southend-on-Sea Fairtrade Network.
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On Sunday 25th February, Oasis Coffee House, 189 Leigh Road,
Leigh-on-Sea hosted a Fairtrade event at the start of Fairtrade Fortnight,
which attended by a full house.
Sarah Brazier from the Fairtrade Foundation came to give a talk about Fairtrade
and the difference it makes for farming communities who produce our food in the
global south. Without Fairtrade, farmers from the global south, who produce the
food that we buy from supermarkets, are often those that do not earn enough to
feed their own families.
Sarah gave the example of the Coobana Cooperative in Panama, who
for many years struggled producing bananas and getting a fair price for their
crop. Now they are Fairtrade certified it has made a huge difference to their
economic security in the global market, and to their community with improved
housing for farmers, children able to afford to attend school and college, and
improved working conditions and increased productivity for banana farmers in
the cooperative.
“It is our choices on what to buy when shopping that make a very
real difference to people like you and I all around the world. We urge
people to choose products with the Fairtrade mark and to ask shops to stock
Fairtrade products, where they are not apparent – the consumers power really is
king in making the difference.” said Gina Cox member of Leigh Road Baptist
Church and Southend-on-Sea Fairtrade Network who organised the event.
Fairtrade is good news for farmers and artisans, however it relies
on demand from consumers in the West to make it a continuing success. Only one
third of bananas sold in the UK is Fairtrade.
The Coop Food has always been a pioneer of Fairtrade products and
were the first supermarket in the UK to have 100% Fairtrade bananas in their
stores. Darrell Binding is the Coop Member Pioneer, Leigh-on-Sea and he gave a
short talk on the evening about Coop and his role in the community.
The local Leigh Road Coop Food store also supplied the evening
with a great display of their Fairtrade goods including Fairtrade Easter eggs,
flowers, wine and cotton wool, as well as tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar.
Thanks also to Divine Chocolate, Tropical Wholefoods and Esquires coffee
shops who sent us Fairtrade freebies for people to try during the evening.
A Fairtrade hamper was also
won in a free prize draw, and those attending were also were given a
Fairtrade picture quiz to identify various food crops such as cocoa and
sugar cane in their raw form. Many thanks to all those who braved the cold
weather to attend the Fairtrade event, and please continue to look for the
Fairtrade mark when you next shop.
More information about Fairtrade across the Borough can be found at www.fairtradeleigh.org.uk and www.facebook.com/SOSFairtrade
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