As Fairtrade becomes a lifestyle choice for many, over 1300 products now have the Fairtrade Mark, including items of Fairtrade fashion with the recent launch of Fairtrade Cotton. You continue to grow the value of Fairtrade by over 40% per year and the big players are now taking note with Marks and Spencer and Top Shop adding fair trade fashion to their stores and Virgin Trains to stock only Fairtrade hot drinks.
Fairtrade ensures the producer receives a fair price for their crop, and also provides a social premium that the community decides how to invest in development in areas such as water, education or health.
Support Fairtrade in 10 easy steps:
1. Regularly purchase Fairtrade products
Make it a habit of your lifestyle and make a difference to the lives of Fairtrade producers and their communities around the world
2. Support the British Association of fair trade Shops
Find your local fair trade shop. Pay them a visit. Browse and buy all the lovely fair trade products that make wonderful gifts.
Visit www.bafts.org.uk
3. Give Fairtrade Presents
Give Fairtrade products to your friends and family for birthday presents. If others get to try them, taste them and hear the story behind them they will likely buy Fairtrade in the future. Visit www.newconsumershop.org
4. Ask for Fairtrade
Ask for Fairtrade products in supermarkets, local and high street shops. Don’t be a passive receptor of what is on the shelves. Shops are very responsive to people asking for things they want, and not many people have to ask before they make the change.
5. Subscribe to New Consumer Magazine
For all the latest information, inspiration, small steps and beautiful products to support fair trade, with a 10% discount on all products at www.newconsumershop.org
6. Put your money where Fairtrade is
Bank with ethical banks like the Co-op and Triodos who support Fairtrade. Invest in Fairtrade companies when there is a share issue, such as Cafédirect.
7. Look at your mortgage and your pension
This is one of the biggest financial decisions you make. Ask your provider whether they support Fairtrade companies. Let them know that you want returns but not at the cost of people’s livelihoods.
8. Investigate Fairtrade status
Investigate whether your town or city has Fairtrade status, request the information pack, look out for the Fairtrade City Guide and hang out at the local Fairtrade cafes, events, and shops.
Visit www.fairtrade.org.uk
9. Take Fairtrade to Work
Get your workplace to buy Fairtrade products for everyone to enjoy whilst you are busy in your working day
10. Investigate and Get Informed
Make a point of finding out more about Fairtrade. Visit the Fairtrade Foundation website for all the latest information and New Consumer for all your Fairtrade questions and answers, to meet Fairtrade Producers, Businesses and find the just out latest Fairtrade products.
New Consumer is the UK’s leading fair trade and ethical lifestyle magazine. Passionate, irreverent, positive, New Consumer provides inspiration, information, and products that make a difference to you and your world. You will find intelligent in-depth features, fair trade & ethical fashion, jewellery, food and drink, interviews, comment all enabling UK consumers to connect with fair trade producers and use collective purchasing power to support positive world change. An annual subscription is £15 for 6 issues delivered direct to your door.
The New Consumer Online Shop was set up to make over 400 high quality Fairtrade products available direct to the consumer from one place first. It includes Fairtrade body care, Fairtrade Food and Drink, Fairtrade Fashion and Jewellery, Books, Music. Subscribers to New Consumer Magazine receive 10% off all products.
New Consumer was set up by Mel Young in June 2002. Mel is one of a few social entrepreneurs from across the globe, recognised as outstanding by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. He co-founded The Big Issue Scotland; is co-founder and President of The International Network of Street Papers; and co-founder CEO & President of The Homeless World Cup.
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