Highlights from the Fairtrade Week and how you can participate

The importance of sustainable and Fairtrade practices in food and fashion were highlighted once again during the Fairtrade Week (November 26 - December 2) with quite a few activities continuing through the rest of December and into the new year as part of the 'Fair Enough' campaign. This time around, the movement had over 7,000 supporters across 26 activities. 

With India being one of the fastest growing Fairtrade markets in the world, some of the highlights from the campaign included Forca Goa Foundation, an NGO that uses football to connect and empower communities in Goa, sourcing over 800 IndPro Fairtrade footballs, Black Baza Coffee, a Karnataka-based coffee brand, going 100 per cent Fairtrade, and Paper Boat Chikki, using Fairtrade-certified peanuts for its product. 

Abhishek Jani, CEO Fairtrade India says, “This Fairtrade Week, we are pleased to note the growing support for farmers from citizens, schools, colleges, hotels, retailers, businesses and other institutions. It is the need of the hour for mainstream urban India to stand with the farmers and workers behind the food and fashion that they consume. We need to understand the social and environmental cost of our choices and ask whether our choices are Fair Enough? The Fairtrade Week Campaign enables us to make the fairer choices that provide farming communities a better income and also take care of the environment.”

In addition a number of schools across Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai have been creating awareness amongst students with activities like painting walls with a Fairtrade message. Vidyashilp Academy, India's first Fairtrade school, is promoting responsible consumption by switching to Fairtrade T-shirts and using uniforms made from Fairtrade cotton and recycled polyester.

For those looking to make a mark through fashion, sustainable label, No Nasties opened its first Fairtrade store in Goa, and has also planned events on social media to get its followers to join the campaign. One can also do their bit by visiting Novotel Outer Ring Road Hotel, where they will be serving Fairtrade-certified coffee and tea in their 24x7 cafe.

Details: week.fairtradeindia.org