Fairtrade Fortnight: She Deserves

Each year, thousands of people from around the world, come together to celebrate the people who grow our food. These people often live in the poorest parts of the world and are vulnerable to being poorly paid and exploited. The Fairtrade Foundation campaigns to ensure that the people who supply our food chain are fairly paid, and able to live a dignified life.

This year the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign ‘She Deserves’ will run between 25th February and 10th March. The focus will be on the people, but in particular the women, who grow and farm the cocoa that keep us fuelled and happy with delicious chocolaty treats.

Cocoa

The price of cocoa has fallen to crisis levels in recent years, making the lives of farmers incredibly difficult and unsustainable. This is especially true in South Africa where the majority of cocoa is farmed. It is more important that ever before for us to come together to shout about the benefits of Fairtrade.

This years campaign tells the story of women working in cocoa farming in Côte D’Ivoire, through their eyes.

Faitrade principles

The Fairtrade Foundation works alongside people to ensure;

“Better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world”

Their mission is to address the injustice of conventional trade which often discriminates against farmers in the developing world. The aim is to empower communities through support and education, in order to improve their own lives.

Child Labour and Human Trafficking

It is estimated that around 2 million children are being subjected to work in illegal and dangerous conditions to produce cocoa in developing countries. Children are working long days without pay, exposed to extreme working conditions and deprived of basic human rights, including schooling.

These children are vulnerable to human trafficking and modern slavery. All so that Western society can ‘enjoy’ chocolate.

Living Wage

A living income means the amount of money an individual needs to live a dignified life. That the individual and their family have appropriate access to schooling, clothes and medicines when they need them. The Fairtrade Foundation believe these are not luxuries but basic human right.

Millions of farmers that produce our food still don’t earn enough to feed their families. They are stuck in a poverty trap created by a small group of corporate giants who ensure that the cost of cocoa is low, so that their profits remain high.

It’s time for that to change.

Fairtrade at Babipur

At Babipur, ensuring our suppliers are committed to sustainability, fair working conditions and fair pricing for all involved is very important to us.

What can you do to help?

The best thing is to help us spread the word about the importance of Fairtrade. Getting the message out there to corporations that we want the people who supply our food, fabrics and flowers to be treated fairly, equitably and able to live a dignified life that meets their basic human rights.

Fairtrade Fortnight Fun!

Get involved with us at Babipur in spreading the word all about Fairtrade and what it means to farming communities.

Babipur Challenge 

We have a special Babipur Challenge this fortnight over on Instagram, with a fabulous PRIZE of a taster bundle of Fairtrade chocolate! This challenge is dedicated entirely to understanding Fairtrade and about where our chocolate comes from, start to finish. You can find all the challenge info >here<

We love to see all your creative pictures and thoughts so don’t forget to tag @Babipur and use #BabipurChallenge and #LoveBabipur

A Little Thank You

Who doesn’t love free chocolate?! Of course we want to give a special chocolatey thank you to all our customers, so throughout Fairtrade Fortnight, every order (minimum £20 spend) at Babipur will receive a free chocolate gift. Choose (at the checkout) from a small bar of Tony’s Chocolonely OR a Cocoa Loco Babipur dark chocolate spoon and elephant (Vegan) – simply add your choice at the checkout and enjoy!

Additional Resources