17th February 2010

Fairtrade Fortnight 22 Feb - 7 Mar

Fairtrade Fortnight is the annual nationwide campaign to promote awareness of Fairtrade and encourage people to buy products that carry the Fairtrade Mark in order to help farmers in developing countries.

This year, people in the UK and Ireland are being encouraged to swap everyday shopping basket items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, cotton tee-shirts, pineapples, bananas, cakes, sugar and a host of other products for Fairtrade ones during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, which has the theme of The Big Swap. Catering establishments can join in by offering Fairtrade dishes and encouraging customers to opt for Fairtrade during the fortnight.

Over 4500 retail and catering products are licensed to carry the Fairtrade Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, olive oil, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionery, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt and ice-cream.

During Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, the Fairtrade Foundation will be totting up product swaps on a special online swap-o-meter. The aim is to get people in Britain to make one million and one swaps over the two-week period and change the lives of millions of farmers around the world.

For further information visit the Fairtrade Foundation.