EASTBOURNE VOLUNTEERS: A welcome visit from Eastbourne Fairtrade

‘The thing I’ve always loved about buying something Fairtrade, be it coffee, tea, chocolate, flowers or another of the increasing line of products that now carry the Fairtrade Mark, is that more often than not there is a photo of someone smiling back at you. Or if there’s no photo then you’re likely to find some description of where your sugar, cotton or fruit was farmed, and crucially by whom.

I’ve always thought this was part of the magic of Fairtrade, connecting distant people at opposite ends of long supply chains. Reminding consumers that the things we enjoy and take for granted are provided by farmers across the world, and reminding us that often these producers live in difficult circumstances, trying to lift themselves, their families and their community out of harsh poverty.

If you choose Fairtrade you can be sure that the producers get a fair minimum price for their produce plus a Fairtrade Premium to invest in their business, healthcare, community or children’s education. So why not put some Fairtrade tea, coffee, juice, fruit, nuts, cake, biscuits or chocolate in your shopping basket?

Making people aware of the importance of choosing Fairtrade has always been a key campaigning point for Fairtrade Eastbourne. Over the years, we’ve held music events, comedy nights, art projects, wine tastings, invited speakers, hosted debates and film screenings. You may have spotted us at Eastbourne Carnival dressed as very cheerful Fairtrade bananas! All with the desire to celebrate the magic of Fairtrade and draw attention to the huge potential for trade to help tackle global poverty.

If you need any Fairtrade materials or help finding Fairtrade items, please contact us on [email protected] Now more than ever, it is important that we remember we live in an interconnected, interdependent world, whether we like it or not. If the UK’s fate is to leave the European Union, then as our government draws up new trading arrangements, it must not forget the millions of people in the poorest countries that rely on trade with us’. To learn more about the Fairtrade campaign in Eastbourne and get involved visit our website www.fairtradeeastbourne.org.uk our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/fairtradeeastbourne/ or join us at our meetings at 7:30pm on the 4th Tuesday of the month upstairs in Bibendum, Grange Road’.

At our Eastbourne Volunteers Hub all of our tea, coffee, sugar etc is Fairtrade. Supermarket branded Fairtrade produce is very reasonable, and even if it costs a few pence more sometimes, it is the most ethical choice. Remember, if we all only bought Fairtrade tea and coffee, producers would have to ensure it was all fairly traded! [email protected]