#traidcraft

Hello my lovelies, Today I want to talk about magical Fair Trade compost!

The product is made by a wonderful Fair Trade company called Traidcraft. They have been around for years and make a lot of fantastic things, so worth looking into.

The block comes in a dried solid form, its very compact. About the size of a brick! It takes up no room at all to store in your home. Just a bit of shelf space under the kitchen sink! I tried it with half the measurement because I didn’t need all the compost at once. It worked perfectly with half the measurements, but the block is very hard to saw in half!  The instructions are good and very easy to follow.

I’ve been meaning to sort my plants out for ages!  But I live in a block of flats, in the middle of town, with no car, far far faaar away from any garden centers. So lugging a massive block of compost/soil/dirt/ect was not possible for myself. Never mind having some place to store it!

This little block is a total gem and have solved all my plantie problems! I couldn’t be happier and would highly recommend! I got my block in my local Oxfam but I can easily be purchase on Traidcrafts website. [HERE]

Delicious recipe for Fairtrade walnut and blueberry cinnamon rolls

Most of my family lives in the US and I have spent quite a few happy vacations there. I have many amazing US-based food memories, but one of my most wholesome ones is tightly linked to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

I don’t really know why they are not so popular here in the UK…but they should be! there is nothing like waking up to the sweet and spicy smell of cinnamon… I guess a bit…

The Traidcraft Big Brew is kicking off nationwide over Fairtrade Fortnight (27 Feb – 11 March) to raise awareness of the organisation’s work over a fairly traded cuppa.

By Jayde Bradley, Senior Campaigns Officer, Traidcraft

Ahead of the World Trade Organisation ministerial later this week, Traidcraft – with a helping hand from Father Christmas – took the campaign for cotton justice to the US Embassy.

Thousands of Fairtrade supporters from Traidcraft, Fairtrade Foundation and People Tree have been campaigning for an end to US cotton subsidies in the last few months. 5,500 campaign postcards were received by Edward Davey who thanked campaigners for raising this issue – and thousands more signed a petition to US Ambassador Louis Susman.

And who better to deliver the petition to the US Embassy at this festive time of year than Father Christmas?

He caught the attention of commuters as he forfeited a sleigh ride in favour of the London underground – and struggled on the escalator with the giant sack representing all the people that have taken action.

But eventually he made it to the Embassy (where he was greeted by a special agent) and handed over the petition, along with a letter signed by Traidcraft and the Fairtrade Foundation.

When questioned about his involvement in the campaign, Father Christmas commented:

'I am able to deliver presents around the world in one night – yet in the ten years since the Doha Development Round was launched, almost nothing has been delivered for poor countries.

In fact, since the initiation of the Doha round, the US has paid more than $31 billion to its cotton farmers and further dragged down the price poor cotton farmers can get for their crop.

Cotton continues to be one of the most contentious issues at the WTO – a recent proposal by West African countries for a freeze on cotton subsidy spending at current levels was blocked before even getting to the negotiating table. Lack of action from the US continues to undermine the very notion of a multilateral trade system and threaten the livelihoods of millions of cotton farmers around the world.'

Traidcraft and the Fairtrade Foundation have been working closely together on the campaign to put an end to damaging, unfair and illegal cotton subsidies.

We will be following developments at the ministerial later this week and calling on the US to use the Farm Bill to cut cotton subsidies in line with demands made by African cotton-producing countries at the WTO. Stay tuned for our reaction to the negotiations.

Find out more about the range of problems that stop cotton farmers from making the most of their crop;

Read Traidcraft’s latest briefing paper 'White Gold' here 

Attend the Trade Justice Movement event in London on December 16th

I am sure you are all enjoying Fairtrade Fortnight 2011, which officially starts today. As you may well know, this year the Fairtrade Foundation has launched the ‘Show Off Your Label’ campaign.  This involves asking the nation to show off about buying Fairtrade which offers 7.5 million people in the developing world a more secure future.

This year we’re encouraging primary schools to enter our Design a Fairtrade T-shirt competition in association with Real Radio (100-102FM) and Newcastle City Council. You can find out more by clicking here.

Here’s a roundup of what some of our customers are doing this Fairtrade Fortnight.

Fairtrade Foundation – www.fairtrade.org.uk

Cotton is one of the central themes of this Fairtrade Fortnight. Although Fairtrade cotton has been available for some time, still less than 1% of cotton fashion on the high street carries the Fairtrade Mark. Fairtrade cotton guarantees a Fairtrade minimum price as well as a Fairtrade premium for investment in social development projects such as water, education and healthcare. You can read more about how Fairtrade has benefitted producers here.

Unfair trade rules also contribute to keeping cotton farmers trapped in poverty. More than 10 million West African people who rely on cotton for their livelihoods are not able to compete on a level playing field. Cotton farmers in the EU, the United States and China are highly subsidised leading to over production. When their huge volumes of cotton are dumped on world markets, prices are driven down and small scale farmers cannot compete. This is the subject of the The Great Cotton Stitch Up.

The Fairtrade Foundation has launched an initiative with online retailer ASOS who teamed up with leading designers to produce a range of Fairtrade cotton scarves, click here to find out more.

The Fairtrade Foundation has also launched a Show Off Your Label game on Facebook. Each day there is a different challenge asking people to upload a photo or video of themselves showing off their favourite Fairtrade product in unusual ways. Challenges will include showing off with your favourite celebrity, ‘Fairtrading’ your mum and the wackiest banana smile.

Each challenge is supported by a Fairtrade organisation who will donate a prize such as blending and roasting your own coffee, a trip to visit a producer, or a cookery lesson with a top chef.

Zaytoun – www.zaytoun.org

Zaytoun CIC has announced its Fairtrade Fortnight producer tour. Two of the guest producers are women – and they’re excited to talk about their perspective on life as Palestinian farmers.

Bassema Basalat is an olive and za’atar producer, and a founder of her local women’s association. She has lost family land to nearby Israeli settlements, affecting her ability to bring in family income. Um Shehadeh (Widad Farid) is a producer of couscous and sundried tomatoes amongst other products, and the only female board member of the Palestine Fair Trade Association.

Both women will tell UK audiences more about the evolving role of women in occupied Palestine as producers, family providers and the inheritants of their grandmothers’ culinary traditions. Food production is the backbone of the Palestinian economy and two-thirds of the work is done by women. “This traditional food tells our story – who we are, what we do” says Bassema.

Zaytoun events including stalls, store samplings and presentations are happening around the country for Fairtrade Fortnight. Further images, information and event details are available on the Zaytoun website resources webpage http://www.zaytoun.org/get-involved/resources/. Fullwell Mill – www.fullwellmill.co.uk

John Kabyetsiza from Fruits of the Nile Uganda is visiting the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight and is speaking at events organised by campaigners in Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk.  Fruits of the Nile produce Tropical Wholefoods delicious sun dried pineapples and bananas.  For more information visit: http://www.fmfoods.co.uk/partners/fon.htm

Tropical Wholefoods have sponsored a Fairtrade Facebook Challenge. The challenge opens on March 4th.  www.facebook/FairtradeFoundation. All you have to do is create a fruity head-dress for yourself with a hat, turban or cap. The lovely singer Rumer is offering 2 free tickets to her concert at the Royal Festival Hall on March 30th as first prize – and you also get to win a Tropical Wholefoods basket of dried fruits and goodies. Be inspired by this great pic of Kate TW founder in hatted fruity finery.

It’s still not too late to ask for a Raisin Awareness sample box from Fullwell Mill.  E-mail: [email protected]. To help with costs, Fulwell Mill ask for a £5 cheque for this generous box of samples, videos and literature.  The box will include: Afghan Raisins, Burkina Mango, Apricot Kernels, Ugandan banana and snack bars.

Traidcraft – www.traidcraft.co.uk

Traidcraft are asking you to show off your Traidcraft honey label and tell how fair trade has helped thousands of beekeepers in Africa and Latin America.

Once again Traidcraft is encouraging supporters to hold a Big Brew, but this year they’re adding a touch of sweetness as they tell the story of how Traidcraft is helping beekeepers in the developing world to become fair trade certified. Reach out to the community in your area with a Big Brew – a nationwide initiative helping churches, schools and workplaces to host a Fairtrade event in Fairtrade Fortnight.

Traidcraft are working with beekeepers in Chile, Guatemala, Tanzania and Kenya to build better futures for themselves and their communities. By holding a Big Brew you will be helping to bring about positive change in the lives of thousands of producers in the developing world – and helping millions of bees!

Equal Exchange UK – www.equalexchange.co.uk

Equal Exchange is proud to be showing off their label this Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 which often says ‘made at origin’. Making the product at origin adds value through jobs and expertise as well as keeping profit in the hands of the producer.

During Fairtrade Fortnight Jenipher Wetaka from Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative is helping Equal Exchange celebrate International Women’s Day with the launch of an exciting coffee 100% grown by women farmers.

Equal Exchange’s seventeen wholesale customers distribute over 75 Equal Exchange Fairtrade products into many, many small natural food or deli shops in towns throughout the UK. Look out for these products near you and try them if you haven’t already. Tweet @EqualExchangeUK, share experience on their Facebook or download resources from their website www.equalexchange.co.uk

Liberation Foods – www.chooseliberation.com

Liberation Foods is running two weeks of competitions on their Harry’s Nuts! Facebook page www.facebook.com/harrysnuts – asking people to come up with funny captions for their daily photos. The winners get – you guessed it – nuts!

Liberation Foods are also participating in an event in the Atrium at Sainsbury’s, sampling their delicious nuts to the staff there. Dyborn Chibonga, CEO of the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi, will be talking about Fairtrade nuts at events, including one at The People’s Supermarket, a Nuts for Fairtrade day in Cardiff and in press interviews. We will be providing leaflets, photos, a powerpoint of beautiful photos and other material to various events in different parts of the UK.

TV’s Aggie MacKenzie will be talking to a group in Hackney about visiting Fairtrade peanut farmers in Malawi.

Summary