‘2009 was a tough year for everyone, but a desperate year for many poor communities and small farmers in developing countries,’

The global economic downturn made 2009 an incredibly tough year for the world’s poor seeking a fair deal for their produce, the Fairtrade Foundation said at the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, which runs from February 22 to March 7.

The global recession has been felt worst in developing countries, where an estimated 50-90 million more people were thrown into extreme poverty in 2009, according to UN Millennium Development Goal figures.

Meanwhile, here in the UK, just over 7 in 10 people told polling company YouGov that they cut back on their personal budgets in some way as a result of the recession, such as eating out less.

Yet the UK public has remained staunchly loyal resulting in another increase in the value of fairtrade sales, up on 2008 by 12% to an estimated retail value of over £799m, and 71% (who don’t already buy everything they can fairtrade) of people say they are willing to swap one or more products to fairtrade in the next two weeks, according to the new YouGov poll commissioned by the foundation.

Desperate

‘2009 was a tough year for everyone, but a desperate year for many poor communities and small farmers in developing countries,’ says Harriet Lamb, Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation.

‘For millions of growers and their families and communities, fairtrade was able to make the difference that has helped them survive a difficult year and plan for the future. It is to the credit of the decent British and Irish public that they do care and, despite the recession, they are still voting with their wallets for fairness and want to change the indignities of an unjust trading system.’

Business momentum for fairtrade continued to grow throughout 2009 fuelling sales growth, with a string of major commitments. Mainstream moves to fairtrade included Cadbury Dairy Milk, all Starbucks espresso-based coffee, Nestle’s four-finger KitKat, Sainsbury’s rolling out their commitment to convert all their tea and coffee, Morrison’s converting all their roast and ground coffee, Tesco converting Tesco Finest Tea and Tate & Lyle converting their retail sugar.

And, with the new fairtrade standards for cosmetics, companies like Boots, Lush, Bubble & Balm, and Neal’s Yard all introduced fairtrade lines. Ben & Jerry’s recently announced that they will be going 100% fairtrade in the UK and throughout Europe by the end of 2011 and globally by end 2013 – which means that every ingredient they use, from sugar to nuts to cocoa, that can be fairtrade certified, will be.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 has the theme of ‘The Big Swap’ to rally people across the UK and Ireland to swap everyday shopping basket items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, cotton tee-shirts, pineapples, bananas, cakes, sugar and a host of other products for fairtrade ones during the fortnight.

More than 4,500 products are now licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. During Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation will tot up product swaps on a special online swap-o-meter at www.bigswap.org.uk

Business swaps

• Business Big Swaps include: Divine Chocolate, the only fairtrade chocolate company co-owned by cocoa farmers, has bought the first shipment of fairtrade cocoa from Sierra Leone so chocolate lovers will be enjoying it in all Divine’s products.

• Cadbury Dairy Milk – already a fairtrade product –- is celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight by releasing an album Big Swap Songs which includes an exclusive track by Paolo Nutini plus five other UK chart hits covered by Ghanaian group, The Big Ghana Band. The release has been created as a free thank you to anyone who swaps to any fairtrade product during the fortnight.

• Dorset Cereals is offering two fairtrade chocolate granolas using fairtrade chocolate

• Starbucks are offering their first 100% fairtrade certified whole bean coffee from Rwanda, after switching all their espresso-based coffee to fairtrade during the year

• Harry Hill is going nuts for the new look given to his own brand of fairtrade nut snacks Harry's Nuts!

• The UK’s largest caterer, Compass, has committed to purchasing 100% fairtrade sugar across its business by June 2010 with sugar sachets available in Fairtrade Fortnight

• ASOS is launching a fashionable new fairtrade jersey wear collection.

• Tesco has agreed to double the number of fairtrade cotton school uniforms in its stock.

• People Tree is introducing a new collaboration with Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, who plays Hermione in the films, which features a range of younger fashion styles aimed at the teen/youth market.

• Warehouse is bringing new innovative designs made from 100% fairtrade cotton to their Warehouse Cares label, roll-up trousers, blouses and button camisoles.

• Sainsbury’s remains on track to convert all of its own-brand tea to fairtrade for Fairtrade Fortnight (adding to its existing 100% fairtrade ranges of bananas, sugar, roast and ground coffee).

• There is up to 20% off selected fairtrade products at Co-operative and Somerfield stores, including the retailer’s iconic 99 Tea range, to encourage shoppers to switch their cuppa to fairtrade Clipper Teas has switched all of its green tea range to fairtrade, with new packs in store for Fairtrade Fortnight. Clipper was one of the first products to receive the Fairtrade Mark in 1994.

• Bulldog, the UK’s largest natural skincare brand for men has launched a range of fairtrade products including shaving gel and moisturiser. The range contains green tea from Sri Lanka, Shea butter from Ghana and sugar from Paraguay.

• Boots has added a new Fairtrade Honey Body Butter to its Extracts range, using fairtrade honey from Chile.

Ely Diocese

The Diocese of Ely is making the swap to fairtrade 160 churches, half in the diocese, now serve fairtrade tea, coffee and biscuits.

Further reading

• Visit www.bigswap.org.uk

• Visit the Fairtrade Foundation website

• Read other ethical lifestyle articles