SmoothieCast | Fairtrade Smoothie Recipes

Sales of Fairtrade products at Waitrose doubled during the first week of Fairtrade Fortnight. The announcement comes just a week after the supermarket pledged to increase sales of the ethical brand by 100 per cent in the coming year. 
The surge in sales is partly attributed to the decision to switch to 100 per cent Fairtrade roses and bananas, with the removal of conventional equivalents.

We are all familiar with the various Fairtrade Products that are available; fruits, flowers, wine - there really is a good range available.

Also available are clothes that carry the Fairtrade mark - just another of the many areas that Fairtrade is branching into.

University of Hertfordshire, 27th February 2007

Report by Sarah Graham, Creative Director of Non-Stick Fit

As part of Fair Trade fortnight, the University of Hertfordshire’s Environmental team organised the Fair Fashion Show. As Non-Stick Fit is a clothing company who print only on ethically traded garments, we were desperate to be involved! I only heard about this event a week and a half beforehand, but the lovely organisers kindly agreed to Non-Stick Fit having a stall for the evening, and even featured our web address on the back of their programme.

Earlier on we reported some of Sainsbury's new plans for their Fairtrade range. Only one day into Fairtrade fortnight and they've already made a massive pledge to further their support of Fairtrade.

Increased Fairtrade sales

1. Pledge to grow Fairtrade sales 145% to £130 million in 2007 and to increase to £200 million by 2008

Fairtrade ambassadors

2. Sainsbury's creates Fairtrade ambassadors in Africa

Financial support for community projects

3. Social premium of £4 million to be generated in bananas alone as move to 100% Fairtrade completed

Fairtrade drinks in restaurants

4. Conversion of all tea, coffee and hot chocolate to Fairtrade in Sainsbury's in-store restaurants

More countries, more products

5. Increased support in 49 Fairtrade countries, 13 years of selling Fairtrade food, now 120 lines

Fairtrade Fortnight Bargains

6. Customers to receive 20% off selected Fairtrade items in-store during Fairtrade Fortnight

Today is the first day of Fairtrade Fortnight 2007. At SmoothieCast we're celebrating by inventing as many 100% Fairtrade Smoothie recipes as we can, and on Saturday we'll just be eating Fairtrade Food and bringing you a special podcast episode.

Several supermarkets are competing for the ethical consumer market and Sainsbury's, Co-op and M&S have all got a new range of Fairtrade products.

Co-op

Whilst browsing the blogosphere a couple of days ago I heard about Fairtrade Man. He's going to be eating just Fairtrade food for the whole of Fairtrade Fortnight (26th Feb - 11 Mar). It's a pretty cool challenge so I decided to get in touch with him. Here's his press release:

'Want to join me for dinner?' asks 'Fairtrade Man'

I've just found out about Oxfam's email campaign against pharmaceutical giant Novartis.

Oxfam are currently lobbying Starbucks on its failure to take seriously the requests of Ethiopian coffee farmers and the Ethiopian government. You can find more info and find out what you can do to help here:

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/campaign/mtf/starbucks_store.htm

There's also more info on how you can get involved with campaigning for fair-trade through Oxfam here:

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/campaign/mtf.htm

As you probably know, we at SmoothieCast are really behind FairTrade and so we are really pleased to hear and be able to tell you that Sainsbury and Waitrose have committed to converting entirely to ethically sourced supplies of Britain's favourite fruit – bananas! More information here :

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9074-2500985,00.html

What does it mean when you see the Fairtrade logo?

1. Farmers get a fair and stable price for their products
2. Farmers and plantation workers get extra income to improve their lives
3. A greater respect for the environment
4. Small farmers have stronger position in world markets
5. A closer link between you and the producers