Fairtrade Fortnight 2021

Today sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 (running from the 22nd February through to the 7th March). Over the next two weeks individuals and brands alike across the UK come together to celebrate the lives and work of the farmers and producers who (amongst other things) grow the ingredients which go into our beauty products, food and drinks, grow and pick the cotton in our clothes.

This year the spotlight falls on the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities the Fairtrade organisations works with.

These farmers and workers have done the least to  contribute  to climate change yet are disproportionately affected by it. The climate crisis is currently one of the biggest challenges facing these communities. It is an immediate and ever-increasing threat and those in climate vulnerable countries  are already seeing its impacts from droughts and crop disease to floods, heatwaves and shrinking harvests.

This fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation are asking us to ‘Choose the World You Want’ and use our voices to tell others about the challenges that farmers face from climate change.

With the emergence of the global COVID pandemic, the challenges that farmers face now are bigger than ever before. The falling commodity prices are felt along the global supply chains. The low prices received for their crops mean that farmers are struggling to fight back. Now more than ever, they need a fair price for their crops and their hard work so they will feel equipped to meet their everyday needs and deal with the challenges they face from climate change.

To find out more about the campaign (there is a handy film below), the work the Fairtrade Foundation do or to get involved, join the Fairtrade online festival and hear why winning a fairer deal for farmers and workers is critical in tackling the climate crisis – plus there will be entertainment, music and interactive workshops.

Choose the World You Want and support farmers and producers in some of the worlds most disadvantaged communities. Look for the label and choose Fairtrade when you can.

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As you may remember from previous years, I’m a huge supporter of the work of the Fairtrade Foundation and have been for many years. Many beauty products, including some from some of our favourite natural and organic brands contain ingredients which have been sourced responsibly and fairly traded too. I’ve written quite a few posts on here about fairly traded beauty products, so why not take a look?

Abi Weeds the director of one of my favourite brands Odylique kindly spoke to me a couple of years ago about Odylique’s use of fair-trade ingredients. You can read the interview here –   My Conversation with Abbi Weeds.

Do you have any fair trade favourites?

Images: (1,2,3) Fairtrade Foundation