Loading ...Fair trade - comparing prices
Fair trade is one of those issues surrounded in myth, for example products are much more expensive or the farmers never see the money. So let’s compare a few prices and look at some farmers that are involved in the scheme.
In my opinion buying fair trade products is simply a moral decision, it just doesn’t sit well with me knowing I can pay 5p less for half a kilo of bananas but to do so a child on the other side of the world can’t go to school.
Please take five minutes out of your day and have a look at meet the farmers on the Cool Planet website. Click on their pictures and read how fair trade is changing their lives, try to remember their faces so the next time you are in the supermarket you don’t fall for the packaged products you recognise because of tv ads but you make the moral choice to trade fairly with overseas farmers.
Always look for the trade mark in the image above, which is issued by the Fairtrade Foundation
So what are you imagining now, nasty packaging and foul tasting coffee? Keep an open mind and let’s have a look:
Coffee is the most widely known fair trade product so let’s check out two ground coffee’s from Tesco, one fair trade and one not, using the mysupermarket website:
Tesco Colombian Medium Strength Roast & Ground Coffee (227g) @ £2.25
Cafedirect Fairtrade Medium Roast Ground Coffee (227g) @ £1.95
So the fairtrade product in this example is actually cheaper. Yes, there are more expensive fairtrade coffee’s but this example was simply to demonstrate that fairtrade doesn’t always mean more expensive. The weekly shop is not the most exiting thing to do but I would urge you to stop and think about what you are buying, look for the fairtrade mark and very soon you will pick them up automatically.
It is not just grocery shopping where we can buy with our moral standards but for gifts and household items too. There are many places to buy fair trade products but I want to shamelessly plug one of my new favourite fair trade online shops, so they provided me with the following information:
Only Fair is a fresh and exciting gift shop, launched in August 2007 and we specialise in fairly traded and Fairtrade gifts from around the World.
The term Fair Trade is used to indicate ethical trading. This means that companies are involved in trying to ensure that the basic labour rights of employees of their third world suppliers are respected. Ethical trading is based around ensuring that no exploitation takes place, this includes ensuring there is no use of forced labour.
FAIRTRADE is the term that is used to describe products that hold the FAIRTRADE mark, awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation. The FAIRTRADE mark is a guarantee that the producers have been given a better deal for their work. It addresses the injustice of low prices by guaranteeing that producers receive fair terms of trade and fair prices, no matter what is happening in the market.
At Only Fair we do not work directly with suppliers but we do insist that suppliers are BAFTS and IFAT registered. This means we can be sure that our goods are produced in accordance with the principles of Fair Trade and that processes have been independently verified.
Keen to promote fair trade, the range includes chocolate and coffee, reusable bags, wedding gifts and items for the home, with speedy delivery at a reasonable £2.95. Spend over £30 and receive a free 100g bar of delicious Divine chocolate.
You can contact Only Fair on 01366 38974 or by emailing sales@onlyfair.co.uk
Only Fair also offer Fair Trade Parties within the West Norfolk area and are happy to participate in fairs and events.
Check out their beautiful range of gifts and household items, this is one of my favourites 
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