Oxford is set to host a series of events over the next two weeks in celebration of Fairtrade Fortnight, a campaign which takes place every year to raise awareness of Fairtrade practices.
This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will take place from February 24th to March 8th. Its central aim is to continue the fight for cocoa farmers to earn a living income, and the campaign will include stories showing the foundation’s positive influence on the farmers whose rights it seeks to protect.
The events will be held by the Oxford Fairtrade Coalition, which is supported by the Oxford City Council.
Events will include the Fairtrade Business Breakfast on Wednesday 25th February, from 7.45am – 9.15am, held in Oxford University Club, as well as a panel discussion entitled ‘She Deserves Chocolate’, held on Tuesday 3rd March from 7pm-9pm in Lady Margaret Hall.
Oxford Town Hall’s café, run by Lemon Zest, will be offering customers a discount of 10% on Fairtrade hot chocolate throughout the Fortnight. The café already offers a variety of Fairtrade products.
Other events include a lecture on Thursday 27th February at the Museum of Natural History entitled ‘Climate Resilience, Social Justice and Sustainability’, which will involve a talk from Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTSA)’s Mohammed Ruzzi, Conservation Hierarchy’s Henry Grub, and a panel discussion on how small-scale farmers can deal with the climate crisis.
On Sunday 1st March, the Student Union will host a Great Fairtrade Bake Off, organised in collaboration with colleges’ environmental representatives.
Several colleges have already announced their plans to support the campaign. Wadham, one of the colleges to take part, will provide Fairtrade products such as chocolate brownies, cookies, and Divine chocolate bars in their New Refectory.
The Oxford City Council has pledged its commitment to the use of Fairtrade products and encourages local residents to buy from businesses that stock Fairtrade products. Oxford has been a Fairtrade City since 2004, meaning that the Council has passed a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and has agreed to serve Fair Trade tea and coffee at meetings.
A range of Fairtrade products is also available at local establishments, and Fairtrade products are used by local workplaces and community organisations.
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “We are delighted that Oxford continues to be a Fairtrade City, having first been awarded this in 2004. We are a member of the Oxford Fair Trade Coalition and contribute funds to support the promotion of fair trade activities, goods and events such as the One World Fair. We work hard to ensure workers in our city are paid the Oxford Living Wage, but it is just as important to tackle poverty away from home where we can. Simple changes such as selling Fairtrade drinks (try some at our Town Hall café) and goods can make a difference to those who need it. Producers all around the world deserve to be fairly paid for their work.”
Ben Ashton, Chair of the Oxford Fairtrade Coalition, said: “Imagine a world in which the person who grows the cocoa could set a fair price for it. If everyone in Oxford chose to buy a Fairtrade option whenever they could and the small difference in price we pay made its way back to the producers at the beginning of the chain we could change their lives and their communities forever.
“The Fairtrade logo you can see on some food packaging means that the product includes certified Fairtrade ingredients which have been produced by farmers, organisations or co-operatives in a way that meets agreed social, economic and environmental standards. They will have been paid a fair price and will also receive a premium to spend in their community as they choose. There are over 4500 Fairtrade products from coffee and tea to flowers, chocolate, bananas, beauty products, and much more. So when you shop, look for the Fairtrade logo.”
Oxford University has been a recipient of the Fairtrade University and College Award since 2018, something that requires a commitment to supporting Fairtrade practices in departmental cafes and sites.
