Kokova Magazine

Thousands of Fairtrade supporters around the country are gearing up to launch an extra special Fairtrade Fortnight (24th February - 9th March 2014) campaign in 2014, aiming to bring about landmark change in the banana industry.

The enthusiasm to make this the most significant Fairtrade Fortnight yet is palpable among organising groups as 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK.

The Fairtrade Foundation plans to commemorate two decades of the well-known mark in 2014 by tackling the trade injustice that still exists in supply chains head on, commodity by commodity. In Fairtrade Fortnight, the aim will be to launch a campaign that will ultimately transform the banana industry to ensure millions of struggling banana farmers and workers get a fairer deal.

It is the second phase of the Foundation's three year campaigning programme, Make Food Fair, and will be unveiled on the first day of Fairtrade Fortnight, Monday 24th February 2014.

From cotton to bananas, tea to sugar, the pressure caused by the toxic pincer movement of consumers wanting cheap products and retailers waging price wars is fuelling poverty among the farmers and workers who grow the produce.

"After two decades of going against the tide to help farmers make a fair exchange for the fruits of their labour, millions of farmers and workers continue to struggle at the sharp end of unfair supply chains linked to some of our favourite products in 2014. That's just wrong. What's more, despite being highly successful in many areas, Fairtrade products still represent less than one per cent of global trade in most categories. Our job is by no means done and we plan to tackle this trade injustice, commodity by commodity, starting with Britain’s most popular fruit."

Michael Gidney, Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation

The two week long integrated campaign to Make Bananas Fair, will launch across multiple touch points, incorporating print, digital display and social media, focusing on the website as the hub www.stickwithfoncho.org.uk It will centre on the powerful impact we as individuals have on the world by choosing Fairtrade and messaging will capture the brand's essence of empowerment and strengthened campaigning.

Consumers and campaigning supporters, businesses and retailers, community organisations and faith groups, schools and universities will all be encouraged to engage with the campaign across the various platforms.

Around the country thousands of events will be held to amplify the campaign messaging in many of Fairtrade’s network of 570 Fairtrade Towns, 1,000 Fairtrade Schools and 170 Fairtrade Universities, and 7,200 Fairtrade Faith Groups.

Activities will include fruit stalls, fairgrounds, dinner parties, quizzes, tugs of war and people will be encourage to involve banana costumes and giant inflatable bananas at their events. Larger public events will incorporate talks and films about the issues.

Fairtrade banana producers from Ghana and Colombia will visit UK towns, talking to Fairtrade supporter networks to highlight the campaign to make bananas fair.

Visit www.stickwithfoncho.org.uk for further information.