How Do You Like Your Cup of Tea?

In light of 'Fairtrade Fortnight' a few weeks ago, Millie Flint investigates what it actually means to be a Fair Trader. As she takes to the streets of Cardiff to explore Fair Trade fashion and food, she urges Cardiff University students to consider their stance on ethical trading.

Show off your label.

This infamous phrase was the slogan for the recent Fairtrade Fortnight held across the United Kingdom.

This article explores what Fairtrade is; how Cardiff, as a city, contributes to Fairtrade; what our University is doing regarding Fairtrade and will hopefully make you think ‘How do you like your cup of tea?’

It’s important to know what the vibrant blue and green label fundamentally stands for; although slightly insipid, the facts behind Fairtrade are essential. Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade.

Conventional trade discriminates against the poorest and weakest producers. Therefore, Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

What does seeing a Fairtrade label indicate, other than the funky colours? The Fairtrade Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have been certified against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.  

What is Fairtrade’s ultimate vision? It is a vision of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures. A world where everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential.

The number of ethical labels is growing, but Fairtrade remains unique. While other schemes aim to ‘protect the environment’ or ‘enable companies to trace their coffee’, Fairtrade’s focus is purely on helping farmers and workers improve the quality of their lives and take more control over their futures.

Who needs Fairtrade? In rural communities in Third World countries, there is little evidence of the new-found urban wealth making its way into the hands of those working on the land.

Fairtrade encompasses almost all of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Oceania and the poorest countries in Asia. Where does that extra money spent on Fair Trade produce go? Straight back to the farmer.

You can have confidence with Fairtrade, that a minimum price has been established, defining the lowest possible price that a buyer of Fairtrade products must pay the producer.

Therefore, the producer is not cheated in any way. For how long has Fairtrade been circulating? The concept of Fairtrade has been around for roughly 40 years. 1988 was the Launch of the first Fairtrade label.

In that year, the first Fairtrade coffee from Mexico was sold in Dutch supermarkets. At the time it was branded ‘Max Havelar,’ after a fictional Dutch character who opposed the exploitation of coffee pickers in Dutch colonies.

Initially within the UK in 2002, only 20% people were aware of Fairtrade, in 2007 this had increased to 70% of the population recognising Fairtrade.

The UK’s market is doubling in value every two years, and in 2007 reached an estimated retail value of £493 million. The UK is one of the world’s leading Fairtrade markets, with more products and more awareness of Fairtrade than anywhere else. Around 20% of roast and ground coffee, and 20% of bananas sold in the UK are now Fairtrade.

What does our city offer?

As a city, Cardiff has excelled itself in areas of Fair Trade. In 2004 it became the World’s first Fairtrade Capital City, an achievement which was recognised by the FairTrade Foundation.

Then in 2008, Wales made history, when it became the first ever Fair Trade Nation. Gripping the ‘Cardiff Fair Trade Guide’ tightly in my hands I set out to see Cardiff’s Fair Trade for myself.

The Guide lists over one hundred places that ‘deal’ in Fair Trade, these places range from retail, food and drink and supermarkets. I was surprised to see the infamous Starbucks and Costa Coffee were nestled among the more alternative places. I chose Milgi, however, to look into their Fairtrade efforts.

Two hundred and thirteen doors down City Road, Milgi offered me a fantastic, quirky and comfortable night. Milgi was created in 2006 with a mission to bring together food, drink, music and art under one roof, “dedicated to supporting all things local we always aim to provide you with more than a meal.’”

It was pleasing to see that as well as supporting local produce Milgi also believes in Fair Trade: “FairTrade is extremely important to Milgi. We can guarantee all our bananas, chocolate, coffee and orange juice carry the Fairtrade mark.”

This concept satisfied my companion to know that her banana milkshake and banana cake were made with ethical goods and she claims this ‘made them even more delicious!’

Milgi supported Fair Trade Fortnight by holding an arts evening in their yurt. Some friends and I took part getting messy with fabrics, paints, buttons and glue to create some bunting to help break a world bunting record and to show off ‘Bintou’s’ Cotton.

What does our University do for Fairtrade?

Whether you realise it or not, you are probably purchasing Fair Trade goods from the university as you read this. For one, all the Cardiff University hoodies are Fair Trade. Beyond the clothes, the Taf and the Kitchen do their part for Fair Trade.

During the Fair Trade fortnight the Taf and The Ethical Chef presented a Fairtrade Vegan Lunch and the Union show-cased its Fairtrade products in the Union Shop, The Kitchen and The Taf.

Furthermore, the society ‘People and Planet’, this is an ethical and environmental student group, put on a selection of events for Fairtrade. This included, a ‘stitch and bitch evening,’ making Fair Trade cotton bunting to break the longest bunting record.

They organised a fashion shoot with Quench using Fair Trade clothes only. And there was a stall outside the union giving away free fair trade food in hope of raising Fairtrade awareness.

Ever wondered why the union’s cola cans are slightly different to the regular Coca-Cola? Answer: its Fair Trade cola. Why don’t we stock Nestle on campus? Answer: bad ethical practises.

To get involved with Fairtrade within the university, become involved with ‘People and Planet.’ They are currently campaigning for all university goods to be Fairtrade.

Or, if you want to help beyond the university, Jan Tucker of Fair Do’s, believes it would be great to have active student involvement in Fair Trade Cardiff, so that the group can represent a whole range of Cardiff people. 

The Fairtrade Foundation has licensed over 3,000 products from coffee, chocolate, bananas to make-up, footballs and cotton pants, there is an inexhaustible list of Fair Trade produce, and I found no excuses to hit Tesco on the ‘Fairtrade’ label prowl, neither should you.

An amazing 140 million people a week snack on a banana, yet why not snack on a Fairtrade banana and empower yourself and the farmer you just bought it from?

Fairtrade isn’t a charity and it isn’t an expensive brand. You know what it is, so be loud and proud to show off Fairtrade.