OVER the past decade we have become a nation of ethical shoppers, with millions of consumers now choosing to buy products with the Fairtrade mark.

A packet of tea with the Fairtrade premium may cost 40p more than other brands, but many of us happily pay the extra in the knowledge that tea farmers in the developing world are not being exploited.

It seems that it's suddenly cool to care where you shop and British consumers are now realising that their individual buying power can make an enormous difference to the lives of farmers, their families and communities in Third World countries.

From small and worthy beginnings less than 20 years ago, Fairtrade food has become a familiar sight on the supermarket shelves and has changed the way many of us shop and think about the people who provide our food.
In fact it has never been easier to be a consumer with a conscience, as all major supermarket chains now sell Fairtrade products, expanding their lines and ranges all the time.

The number of different Fairtrade products available has risen from around 150 in 2003 to more than 2,500 today, with everything from yoghurt and baby food, flowers and footballs to Fairtrade stalwarts such as tea, coffee and bananas on offer.

And major stores are looking at how to expand further in this field, as the latest trading battleground becomes who has the shiniest ethical halo!

To coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight, Marks & Spencer is to launch a range of Fairtrade cotton products from rugs and bedding to childrenswear and men's shirts, which will see its Fairtrade cotton quota rise from 100 to 6,000 tonnes by next year.

And the Co-op, which pioneered the idea of Fairtrade in the UK, will launch one million unbleached cotton shopping bags, intended to take the place of plastic bags in its stores.

Meanwhile the aim of Fairtrade Fortnight is to raise awareness of the concept of fair trade and hopefully convince more people to support it, as Geraldine Smith, from the Sunderland Partnership, explained.

The Sunderland Partnership is pushing the city's bid to achieve Fairtrade City status, following on from the successful applications from both Sunderland University and the City of Sunderland College.

Geraldine said: "'Change Today, Choose Fairtrade' is this year's theme for Fairtrade fortnight, which is all about raising awareness and promoting the interests of growers and suppliers in developing countries on the world market.

"The city is putting forward its bid for Fairtrade status and meanwhile during Fairtrade Fortnight, there will be several events taking place in an attempt to raise awareness about the principles behind Fairtrade products and to show people how easy it is to support.

"More than ever people are aware where products come from and are keen to make sure that no one is exploited in the production of that product.
"We also want to get children involved, as education should start at a young age, so we are launching a poster competition across the city."

As part of the competition, pupils at primary or secondary schools in the city are being called on to design a poster showing what Fairtrade means to them.

Winning posters will go on display at a Fairtrade art exhibition organised by Sunderland Partnership, and artists who enter could also win £250 for their school to set up a Fairtrade tuck shop.

The competition will be divided into two categories – primary and secondary school – and to enter the competition, budding artists need to design a poster on an A4 piece of paper which shows what Fairtrade means to them, before sending it to: Fairtrade Poster Competition, Room 3.24, Civic Centre, Burdon Road, Sunderland, SR2 7DN.

All entries should have name, age and school written on the back of the poster and the deadline for entries is Friday April 6.

So what is Fairtrade all about and how can the coffee or tea you buy make a difference?

Essentially the Fairtrade scheme works by ensuring farmers in the developing world are paid a fair price for their goods – even when the world prices are low.

For in developing countries farmers' livelihoods are at the mercy of fluctuating crop prices and when the world price of primary commodities such as coffee, tea and sugar fall dramatically, it has a catastrophic impact on the lives of millions of small-scale producers. Many are forced into crippling debts while countless others lose their land and their homes.

Fairtrade guarantees the farmers a long-term fixed price for their crop, whatever the ups and downs of the world market. The scheme also pays a social premium to be invested in community projects such as health care programmes, schools and adult literacy.

It's not about giving farmers handouts, but about putting them in control as Fairtrade guarantees a minimum price.

Canon Stephen Taylor, Chair of the Sunderland Partnership added: "Fairtrade means guaranteeing that producers in developing countries receive a fair price for the goods that they produce, or if they are workers, that they enjoy decent wages and working conditions.

"It's not that difficult for businesses to rethink how they buy things like tea and coffee for their staff and to purchase Fairtrade products instead. Achieving Fairtrade city status will also help raise the profile of the issues involved, namely creating a world that is sustainable economically and environmentally for all of us, no matter where we live.

"Becoming a Fairtrade City is not only a major step in helping others less fortunate than ourselves, but in the long term, helps the city's own economic future as countries become able to buy goods from overseas themselves."

Cabinet Member for Resources, Coun Dave Allan, chair of the city-wide group that is working on Fairtrade, added: " An increasing number of organisations are getting involved, and we are delighted that Sunderland University and the City of Sunderland College have already achieved accredited Fairtrade status.

"We would like as many people as possible to support Fairtrade, and Fairtrade fortnight is an ideal opportunity for people to make the change and choose Fairtrade products instead of their usual brands."
Meanwhile Sunderland is already at the forefront of a Fairtrade consumer revolution.

FM Foods, which employs 35 staff at its base at Southwick Industrial Estate, is one of the country's leading Fairtrade manufacturers, producing snack bars and packing dried fruit under the Tropical Wholefoods brand.

Systems development manager at FM Foods, Karen Hetherington, said business was booming, with new organic lines being added, other ranges being rebranded and the securing of a major new deal with a leading supermarket chain.

She added: "Consumers have really embraced the concept of Fairtrade products and the demand is getting stronger.

"Our business has increased 15 per cent since last year and this year we are looking to buy £1.3million worth of dried fruits from our partners overseas in Pakistan, Burkima Faso and Uganda – which is up on £900,000 last year."

It is a growth area that is being seen across the board and the impact is enormous.

For example last year's decision by Marks & Spencer to convert all the tea and coffee they sell to Fairtrade, meant over £340,000 in Fairtrade premium went directly back to farmers to invest in their communities and around 70,000 tea and coffee producers in 12 countries, including Ethiopia, Columbia and India, were involved in the conversion of 38 M&S product lines to Fairtrade.

Hasmukh Patel, general manager at Agrocel Industries Ltd, which produces Fairtrade cotton for M&S said: "Through Fairtrade, cotton farmers have the assurance of a minimum price, which gives them more security to plan their business. They also benefit from additional money, the Fairtrade premium, to invest in their communities.

"As the farmers organise themselves as a co-operative, they decide collectively how they will use the premium. This brings the community closer together and also empowers many of the women as for the first time as they are able to participate equally in the decision making process."

Dali Kuldip Singh, nine, from one of the Fairtrade cotton communities in Gujarat, India, added: "We didn't have drinking water in our school so had to go back home for it. Fairtrade has provided us with a storage tank and seven taps. We are all very pleased that we don't have to walk miles for drinking water any more."

Fairtrade Facts

MEANWHILE, more than five million people – farmers, workers and their families – across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

* Forty per cent of shoppers have bought Fairtrade products.

* In 1992, the Co-op was the first supermarket to embrace Fairtrade by stocking Cafédirect.

* After coffee and chocolate, Fairtrade mangoes and pineapples are the

* Fairtrade is a success story for everyone involved, but it's really gone bananas with our favourite fruit. Sales of Fairtrade bananas went up by 50 per cent in 2006, bringing stability to the farmers in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

* By summer 2007 all the bananas sold in Sainsbury's stores will be Fairtrade, doubling the number of Fairtrade bananas sold in Britain. The Co-op is also set to double the number of Fairtrade bananas it sells by stocking them in every one of its 3,000 stores.

* Marks & Spencer has become the first high street retailer to offer a range of own brand items made with Fairtrade certified cotton, including T-shirts and socks.

* Virgin Trains has announced that it is switching all tea, coffee, hot chocolate, sugar and chocolate sprinkles on board to Fairtrade.

* Sainsbury's switched 75 per cent of their rose bouquets to Fairtrade in January 2006. New Fairtrade rosé and white wines from South Africa will go on sale, as will Plum Baby banana and mango puree, the first

* The full range of Fairtrade products now includes coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, apples, pears, grapes, plums, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, lychees, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, fruit juices, quinoa, peppers, green beans, coconut, dried fruit, rooibos tea, green tea, cakes and biscuits, honey, muesli, cereal bars, jams, chutney and sauces, herbs and spices, nuts and nut oil, wine, beer, rum, flowers, sports balls, rice, yoghurt, babyfood, sugar body scrub, cotton wool and cotton products.


ABOUT 8,000 activities are expected to take place up and down the country during Fairtrade Fortnight – in workplaces, clubs, universities, cafes and restaurants, shops and supermarkets, churches and other venues – to explain how a small change in shopping habits brings big changes for farmers and their communities in developing countries.
In the region these include:

* Fair Trade Market, hosted by Durham City Fair Trade Partnership, at Durham Market Place, Friday March 9, 10am to 5pm.

* A stall in The Bridges Shopping Centre on Saturday, March 3, providing samples of Fairtrade products and more information about where Fairtrade products are available in Sunderland.

* A session of talks and presentations regarding Fairtrade at Sunderland University on Thursday March 1.

* A stall selling Fairtrade products in the Civic Centre on Tuesday March 6.


THE following Fairtrade outlets in Sunderland stock a range of Fairtrade goods and products:

* Asda – Leechmere, Sunderland and The Galleries, Washington.

* Bakers Oven – The Bridges and Holmeside, Sunderland.

* Bridge Books and Music, North Bridge Street, Sunderland.

* Cafe Refresh, Sunderland City Council, Civic Centre, Sunderland.

* Church of the Good Shepherd, Ford Estate.

* City of Sunderland College – Bede Centre, Shiney Row Centre and Hylton Centre.

* Clock Tower, Sunderland Minster.

* Costa Coffee, Waterstones, The Bridges, Sunderland.

* Debenhams, The Bridges, Sunderland.

* Eden Cafe, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Sunderland.

* Ewesley Road Methodist Church, Ewesley Road, Sunderland.

* Fulwell Methodist Church, Dovedale Road, Sunderland.

* Greggs – Fawcett Street, Union Street, Park Lane, Doxford International Business Park, Sea Road, St Luke's Terrace, Chester Road, Pennywell Shopping Centre, Maritime Terrace, The Bridges, The Green, Southwick, Walworth Way, Hylton Castle, The Galleries, Arndale House, Washington, University of Sunderland, The Edinburgh Building.

* GJs – University of Sunderland, St Peter's Campus, University of Sunderland, Priestman Building.

* Holland and Barrett – Albany Mall, Washington, Blandford Street, Sunderland.

* Jacques – Jack Crawford House, Commercial Road, Sunderland.

* Marks & Spencer (inc. Café Revive), High Street West, Sunderland.

* Morrisons – Doxford Street, Seaburn, Sunderland.

* North East Co-operative – various locations, telephone 0800 317827.

* Our Lady Queen of Peace, Penshaw.

* Oxfam, Blandford Street, Sunderland.

* Park Lane Market, Fruiterers, Sunderland.

* Relish, High Street West, Sunderland.

* Sainsbury's – Silksworth Lane, Sunderland and The Galleries, Wshington.

* Spar – Ewesley Road, Chester Road and within Ryhope service station, Sunderland.

* St Bede's Church, Washington.

* St Gabriel's Church, St Gabriel's Avenue, Sunderland.

* St George's URC, Belvedere Road, Sunderland.

* St John's Methodist Church, Ashbrooke Road, Sunderland.

* St Joseph's Church, Millfield, Sunderland.

* St Mark's Church, Millfield, Sunderland.

* St Mary's and St Peter's Church, Springwell Road, Sunderland.

* St Nicholas Church, Dunelm South, Sunderland.

* Sunderland High School, Mowbray Road, Sunderland.

* Sunderland Minster, High Street West, Sunderland.

* Tesco, The Bridges, Sunderland.

* Tesco Extra, East Herrington, Sunderland.

* Tropical Wholefoods, Southwick Industrial Estate, Sunderland.

* University of Sunderland.

* Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, District 15, Washington.

* Wellbeing Health Shop, The Galleries, Washington.