Honiton: Fairtrade Fortnight was a great success!

Honiton celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight last week and support for the town's Fairtrade accreditation is growing!

21 February to 6 March was Fairtrade Fortnight, a nationwide event where individuals and businesses highlight the importance of Fairtrade and try to encourage more people to make the move to Fairtrade products.

Buying Fairtrade ensures the growers receive a fair price for their produce. For farmers and workers, Fairtrade means better workers' rights, safer working conditions, and fairer pay.

Caroline Kolek is a member of Honiton Town Council and she also sits on the Fairtrade Honiton Steering Group. Since 2019, the group have been working hard to secure Fairtrade Town status for Honiton.

A number of conditions need to be met before a town can be awarded Fairtrade accreditation, for example Fairtrade goods being available in a certain number of shops, cafes and workplaces in the town.

Caroline told Nub News: "The Fairtrade Honiton Steering Group held a market stall on Saturday 26 February and Saturday 5 March, so members of our community could find out more about what it means to be a Fairtrade Town.

"Five members of the Steering Group visited businesses in the centre of the town on the High Street and on New Street giving out information packs about how to be a part of making Honiton a Fairtrade Town.

"The response so far from business owners has been very positive and supportive!

"One of the financial advisor firms in Honiton said that when they bought tea and coffee for their staff, they usually just got whatever came to hand. However, the business said that in the future they would buy Fairtrade coffee and tea."

Heron Farm, which is in Weston, also expressed support for the campaign for Honiton to become a Fairtrade Town, and they said that their café only serves Fairtrade tea and coffee, describing Fairtrade tea and coffee as 'part and parcel of the ethics of their business.'

The Steering Group also visited Boston Tea Party, where they chatted to the manger about the source of the cafe's tea and coffee.

Boston Tea Party buys their tea and coffee using a system called direct trade, which is similar to Fairtrade in that it ensures fair pay and conditions to growers, but they buy directly from the farming co-operatives instead of through third parties.

If you could like to find out more you can email Fairtrade on [email protected] or visit their Facebook page

You can find out more about Fairtrade here