Each year Fairtrade Fortnight gives us an opportunity to commit to fair trade values and reaffirm our support. The calendar of events runs until 7 March so there’s still plenty of time to get involved.
Edinburgh has been a Fairtrade University since 2004, and plays a big role in Edinburgh’s Fairtrade City group. The Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SRS) team are leading the University’s involvement with Fairtrade Fortnight and you can find more information on their website.
This year the theme is ‘choose the world you want’ and has a particular focus on the climate crisis. To encourage as much involvement as possible while we’re all spread out at home, SRS are running a competition to win a £75 One World Shop voucher.
To enter, you need to create something either using fairly traded materials or the subject matter should be centred on fair trade.
The SRS team have come up with some examples to inspire you: “Could you knit using fair trade yarn? Or embroider a design of quintessential fair trade products like bananas and coffee with the Fairtrade logo? Fruit makes for a classic still life subject.”
Or if you feel more comfortable in the kitchen: “Classic fair trade ingredients for baking include sugar, coffee, bananas and chocolate, but there are savoury ingredients too, such as herbs, spices, rice, nuts, and oils. See what you can find!”
“If communication is more your style, you can also write a blog post or poem, or even record a music video.”
You can find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight and the competition on the SRS website.