Fairtrade Fortnight fast approaching
Published: 11 February 2021
People in Exeter are being encouraged to ‘Choose the world you want’ and consider Fairtrade this February.
Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 22 February until 7 March, with local organisers determined to raise the profile of Fairtrade in Exeter and Devon.
Exeter Fairtrade Steering Group is keen to highlight the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with.
“The climate crisis is an immediate and ever-increasing threat,” said Cllr Amal Ghusain, Lead Councillor for Communities and Culture. “People in climate vulnerable countries are already seeing its impacts from droughts and crop disease to floods, heatwaves and shrinking harvests.”
This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will feel very different. 2020 was a hard year for everyone. For those behind Fairtrade, campaigning in the communities has been more difficult and will continue to be challenging in 2021.
This year, Exeter will join forces with Fairtrade Devon and the rest of the country to inspire and educate people around the urgent message of Fairtrade and climate change.
“Exeter has been campaigning for Fairtrade for over 15 years and has learnt what a difference it makes around the world,” said Cllr Ghusain. “Yet, not enough people are buying it and not enough farmers are benefiting from it. We need everyone in the community to get behind farmers and their families this fortnight.”
A number of local events are taking place during Fairtrade Fortnight.
Virtual coffee morning
On Saturday 27 February join the Exeter Fairtrade Steering Group and Fairtrade Devon for a Virtual Coffee Morning on Zoom. It will run from 11.00am to 12.30pm and feature guest speaker Fleur Sparrow-Gormley from Fairtrade Devon. Fleur will talk about Bananas, St Vincent and Fairtrade. Visitors will be able to share a cup of Fairtrade coffee over zoom.
To book a place go to the Eventbrite website
Fairtrade Connections Arts Festival
Fairtrade Devon has teamed up with Fairtrade Yorkshire and other regions and nations to organise an online community arts festival this year. The Fairtrade Connections Arts Festival features a dozen events that are free to attend over Zoom and everyone is welcome.
Visitors can:
- hear from acclaimed poets and photographers
- cook along with a Bake Off contestant
- learn how to make Fairtrade chocolate ruffles
- join in with a bhangra dance workshop
- Ghanaian musician Richard Wiafe has written three songs exclusively for the festival and will talk about his journey from farm hand on a Fairtrade banana farm to studying International Development at university – funded by the Fairtrade premium.
For full listings and to book a place go to the Fairtrade Connections Arts Festival http://www.fairtradeyorkshire.org.uk/news/fairtrade-connections-community-arts-festival-for-fairtrade-fortnight-2021
Support Fairtrade at home
As part of Visit Exeter’s "Exetercation" series, Exeter Fairtrade Steering Group has also put together a series of activities and recipes that people can enjoy at home to support Fairtrade.
For more information on what's happening locally visit our website
To find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 go to the Fairtrade website