Co-op teaches importance of Fairtrade Fortnight to Crewe school children

By Ryan Parker

7th Mar 2023 | Local News

Fairtrade Fortnight 2023 is upon us and is spotlighting the harmful effect of climate change on the future of our food - supported by Co-op.

Thousands of people across Britain are gearing up to take part in Fairtrade Fortnight 2023, supported by the Co-op.

This year's campaign will highlight the message that whatever your budget and wherever you shop, when you choose Fairtrade, you support farmers to take care of the environment through Fairtrade's Price, Premium and Programmes.

Monks Coppenhall Academy school children have been finding out where products such as bananas, coffee and chocolate come from (Nub News).

The two-week annual campaign runs from February 27 to March 12.

This year it will focus on the climate crisis and the increasing threat it poses to some of the planet's most beloved food products as well as the livelihoods of the farmers and agricultural workers who grow them.

It will show how the future survival of the world's most popular foods – such as bananas, cocoa, and coffee – hangs in the balance unless we achieve inclusive and equitable climate solutions, with farmers and agricultural workers playing a central role in the climate response.

Fairtrade Fortnight in the Crewe area

Local Co-op Member Pioneers, Stuart Mackay and Ben Wye, have been talking about the importance of Fairtrade in local schools - including Monks Coppenhall Academy.

The Crewe school children have been finding out where products such as bananas, coffee and chocolate come from.

Local Co-op Member Pioneer, Stuart Mackay (right), talking to Monks Coppenhall school children about fairtrade (Nub News).

They have also learned what it means from others when people buy Fairtrade produce.

The future of bananas

Bananas are the world's most popular fruit. With an estimated global export value of $7billion per year, the banana trade remains the cornerstone of many countries' economy.

For more than 450 million people around the world, bananas and plantains are vital staple crops, particularly in lower-income nations.

But amid the impact of climate change and the resulting threats posed by plant diseases like Fusarium TR4, the future of bananas is increasingly at risk, according to Fairtrade's Fairtrade and Climate Change study.

The study warns that dramatic weather patterns spurred by climate change will likely deliver severe blows to agricultural production in key regions around the world, from Latin America to the Asia-Pacific.

All Co-op stores sell fairtrade bananas (Co-op).

Banana producers in the Caribbean and in Central America, for instance, are expected to experience less rainfall and more extreme temperatures. Meanwhile those in Southeast Asia and Oceania will see an increased risk of tropical cyclones.

Host a Fairtrade Fortnight event

Hosting a Fairtrade Fortnight event is a great way to spread the word about Fairtrade and try some delicious Fairtrade products.

Why not host your own Fairtrade coffee tasting masterclass following along with Co-op's coffee experts or make the Co-op's ultimate Fairtrade chocolate cake for a bake sale?

Download the Co-op Fairtrade Fortnight Pack to learn more about how to take part, for information on how climate change is affecting producers, and how Fairtrade is supporting them to build climate resilience.