Fairtrade Fortnight starts today, and Honiton has a number of events planned to mark the annual occasion. 

Fairtrade Fortnight is an event which sends a simple message: buying Fairtrade products as often as you can supports producers around the world who grow our favourite foods, such as coffee, bananas and tea. 

Fairtrade is a certification that ensures a set of standards are met in the production and supply of a product or ingredient. For farmers and workers who produce a product, Fairtrade means better workers' rights, safer working conditions, and fairer pay.

Honiton a Fairtrade Town is a local group which is applying for Honiton to become a Fairtrade Town. This process takes several years and involves various steps, including gaining the official support of local business, community groups, schools and the Chamber of Commerce. 

At the moment the group are waiting for the Fairtrade Foundation to release the new criteria on how towns become Fairtrade. 

Why is Fairtrade so important?

Rosemary Gilbert is part of the Steering Group. She spoke to Nub News about the importance of Fairtrade: "We want Honiton to be a town which actively supports Fairtrade practices, and send a strong message to our area and visitors and investors that we care about our less fortunate global neighbours. 

"Fairtrade is a different way of trading designed for the benefit of producers and their communities rather than sending profits back to rich countries. 

"The certification ensures a guaranteed income is given to the producers, who are often in Lower Income Countries. 

"It also insists on high environmental standards and protects workers health and safety rights and it forbids child labour. A financial premium is returned to the community who decide together where that money should be invested e.g. in education or health care. 

Local Fairtrade events

The Honiton Fairtrade Group will be in the Library on March 4 between 10am and 1pm and everyone is invited to pop in and find out more. There will be refreshments, an information display and lots of activities.

There will be two displays in Honiton throughout Fairtrade Fortnight - one in the Library and one inside the Co-op. 

Later on in the year the group is planning a Fairtrade Big Brew event on 29 April at Honiton Family Church on the High Street. More details on this will be released soon.