We’re in Fairtrade Fortnight – Monday 22^nd September to Sunday 5^th October – and this year’s theme is ‘Do it Fair’ – grow it fair, pick it fair, make it fair, buy it fair, sip it fair, wear it fair, kick it fair …………………….. There’s a special focus on the tea industry where many smallholder farmers growing the world’s second favourite drink after water don’t earn enough to support their families with essentials and are struggling with increasingly erratic and unpredictable weather conditions. This is same for the growers of many of the foods and drinks we love. Farmers growing cocoa, coffee, tea and bananas need the extra income and training they receive from their Fairtrade organisations/cooperatives, to become more resilient to the climate crisis. If they don’t there are likely to be shortages of coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas in the future which will push prices even higher.

As a Fairtrade Village Community since 2018 we are committed to raising awareness of the benefits of choosing Fairtrade. There are over 6,000 Fairtrade products and some will be on the Fairtrade stall at our coffee morning in the Village Institute Hall on Saturday 4^th October, 10am to 12.30pm. Come along and find out more about how Fairtrade is making a difference, local Fairtrade businesses, and the Embsay with Eastby Fairtrade group. The money raised will be donated to the Fairtrade Foundation’s ‘Brew it Fair’ campaign.

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