How much do we care?

With 5 producers visiting Wales during Fairtrade Fortnight ( 27th Feb to 11th March ), in the year of Fairtrade, the people of Wales will be provided with the opportunity to learn first-hand the difference that Fairtrade is making to the lives of producers and their communities.

Mrunal from India, a Fairtrade certification manager for Chetna Organic Cotton Co-operative will be sharing the difficulties and complexities of the cotton industry and how they rely on the UK market to grow their supply chain.

Jenipher from Mbale, Uganda – an area twinned with Wales and linked through many community partnership schemes including tree planting, school exchanges and coffee procurement will be sharing her story and her wonderful fairtrade organic coffee, 100% grown by women. In a region that is suffering extreme climatic change where whole families have been buried alive due to mudslides, how much can Fairtrade do to offset the damage and protect our land and its people?

Riziq and Taysir from Palestine, who supply Zaytoun their olive oil will help us understand how fairtrade responds to issues in areas of conflict, and how a farmer whose family has been harvesting olives for centuries, has seen his land occupied and his trees and livelihoods destroyed.

But do we really care about all this? With sales of Fairtrade goods in the UK up 12% in 2011 compared to 2010 ( increase to £1.3bn) it’s fair to say, that Fairtrade is in favour. It is being recognised by many, including Welsh Government, local authorities and large PLCs as route to sustainability and despite the recession, it appears our values remain. UK consumers clearly get it; or do they? Are they simply buying the same old Cadbury Dairy Milk and 4 bar KitKat that they always bought, without knowing that the cocoa farmers in the Cote D’Ivorie are getting a better price and a premium for community development? Does buying Fairtrade mean that you care? And should we even care that despite 3 of the 5 UK’s best selling chocolate bars ( Cadbury Dairy Milk, 4 bar kit kat and Maltesers from Summer 2012) bearing the FAIRTRADE mark, only 1% of global sales are FAIRTRADE? Does it matter to us that we can ensure farmers are getting a living wage, are able to plan for the future, can look after their environment and help develop their communities? If we don’t care, what’s the alternative. Life without chocolate? can’t see the UK not caring about that!

Surely that’s the beauty of Fairtrade. Whether you know a little or a lot. Whether you buy something because you see the pretty logo and know the difference that it makes, or that you simply grab for the nearest sugar hit that just happens to be Fairtrade certified. Quite simply, more farmers are getting a better deal. But don’t just take my word for it. Find out for yourself.

Elen Jones is National Co-ordinator for Fair Trade Wales