07 May World Fairtrade Day
This Saturday, 11th May, is World Fairtrade Day, so we thought we’d tell you a bit about it and why Fairtrade can make food even more enjoyable!
World Fairtrade Day is organised by The World Fair Trade Organisation, or in short, the WFTO. The WFTO has a network of Fair Trade organisations in more than 70 countries and works with the producers in these countries to use Fair Trade to improve not only their livelihoods but their communities too.
So, what does it actually mean when you see that Fair Trade logo on products in the supermarket?
What Does The Fair Trade Logo Mean?
Any product that displays the Fair Trade mark shows the consumer that ethical practices have been adopted in the production of that product. It’s not likely that the product will look any different to the same product next to it on the shelf without the Fair Trade logo, but you may find that the Fair Trade product costs more. This higher cost is not down necessarily to any difference in the actual products but is because of the practices Fair Trade has which make it more costly.
Here are two of the main goals of Fair Trade producing which impact on the overall price of Fair Trade products:
- Offer Producers Better Prices For Their Product
- Make Sure Workers Have Decent Working Conditions
As many Fair Trade producers are based in developing countries, trade in this way also offers development for the poorest communities. For a company to be able to brand their product as Fair Trade they must offer the producers a sustainable price. This is a much better alternative for producers in poorer countries who can often be exploited and offered below market price for their products. Considering that you have the peace of mind that the makers of your Fair Trade goods were not discriminated against makes the higher cost worth it for some people.
Why You Should Support Fair Trade
Another benefit of Fair Trade products is that they can often be better quality, because in addition to being Fair Trade, they’re also organic. Organic farming production methods are often adopted by Fair Trade producers and this is because, as we already mentioned, Fair Trade is not just about fair prices but also about fair working conditions. The use of pesticides and other chemicals in non-organic farming has been known to cause harmful skin conditions in workers. Not only can these substances be harmful to workers but the use of these materials can also pollute water sources which can severely affect a local community’s access to safe water. Due to the sometimes-harmful effects pesticides and chemicals can have in non-organic farming, some Fair Trade producers have opted for organic methods of production to ensure the fair working conditions that meet the Fair Trade standard.
So, as a consumer of Fair Trade products you can rest assured that the people behind the bananas, sugar or tea that you buy with the stamp have had both good working conditions and received a reasonable payment.
Some Fair Trade products which are easy to pick up in any supermarket, which we’ve already mentioned, are bananas and sugar. A great way to celebrate Fair Trade Day would be to create our banana loaf recipe using the Fair Trade sugar and banana ingredients.
In our banana loaf recipe, we use medjoul dates to give it a caramel-like flavour and these are also another product that you can pick up a Fair Trade version of in many supermarkets. Alternatively, you could add another Fair Trade treat to the banana loaf such as chocolate. Fair Trade chocolate is widely available and we’d suggest opting for a dark one to add to your loaf to give it that luxurious feel! Or to make your banana loaf even more luxurious why not upgrade from vegetable oil to olive oil? Olive oil is another product that is available in many supermarkets as a Fair Trade version.
So there you have it! All the reasons you should support Fair Trade and how you can enjoy World Fair Trade Day with a delicious banana loaf made up of Fair Trade ingredients.
If we have inspired you to be more ethical in the kitchen then why not arrange a cooking lesson with us? Your lesson will be completely bespoke based on exactly what you want to learn which means if you want to create dishes with as many Fair Trade products as possible this is definitely something we can do. Click here to learn more about our lessons.
We could even to a dinner party for you and incorporate Fair Trade ingredients into the menu and the chef would be happy to explain to your guests what has been used to create their ethical dishes! Find out more about our dinner parties, here.
If you’re interested in booking a chef for a dinner party, cooking lesson or anything else please contact us on 0208 226 37 59 or info@chefscompliments.co.uk or click the ‘get in touch’ button above.
