Glastonbury Goes Fairtrade

Glastonbury Festival 2004 (25-27 June) has blazed a trail for festivals around the UK by requiring all food stalls to sell Fairtrade coffee and hot chocolate. Working with Fairtrade supplier Cafeology, the FAIRTRADE Mark will be displayed on stalls throughout the festival grounds, guaranteeing festival goers that the coffee and hot chocolate they buy has been Fairtrade certified. Many stalls will also serve a wider range of Fairtrade products including tea and fresh fruit, although not yet a specific requirement for Glastonbury caterers.

“It’s great news for Fairtrade,” says Dick Vernon, Manager of the catering stalls at Glastonbury Festival. “By choosing Fairtrade certified products people can make a positive decision to support farmers in the developing world.”

As well as being able to chill out over a Fairtrade cup, festival goers will be able to support the Fairtrade Foundation, the organisation that certifies and promotes Fairtrade products, by buying the Glastonbury Unsigned Bands 2004 compilation set of two CDs. The double album, featuring the 24 finalists who took part in a competition to win 10 performance slots at the festival, will sell for £5 with the profits split evenly between the Foundation and the bands.

For those still looking to get to Glastonbury, Future World Funk (FWF), Europe’s leading global beat deejays, have teamed up with the Fairtrade Foundation to run an on-line competition to win two free tickets, details at www.futureworldfunk.com. FWF will be delivering a mix of styles from Bhangra to Brazilian on Sunday night.

For the farmers and workers, Fairtrade means a stable price which covers production costs and pays a premium that producer organisations can invest in business development or social and environmental schemes that will benefit the wider community. Too many farmers in the developing world have to contend with fluctuating prices that may not even cover the costs incurred in producing their crop. Fairtrade makes a big impact on their day-to-day life and their families’ future.

Two in five of the British adult population now recognize the FAIRTRADE Mark, soaring from one in four in 2003, according to a MORI (Market and Opinion Research International) poll commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation in March 2004. There are now over 250 products that carry the FAIRTRADE Mark: tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, bananas, fresh fruit, juices, honey, cakes, biscuits, cereal bars, jams, sauces, footballs and roses.

• Over 250 retail products and hundreds more of catering products carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. A full list of products and company contact details can be found at www.fairtrade.org.uk/products.htm
• Fairtrade certified coffee will be supplied by Cafeology, a licensed Fairtrade supplier – www.cafeology.com The Fairtrade Coffee Bar will serve Fairtrade certified coffee throughout Glastonbury on behalf of Cake Media in conjunction with ORANGE Communications.
• 5,000 copies of the compilation CD Glastonbury Unsigned Bands 2004 will be available at the festival. Following the festival, copies of the album will be available online at www.concreterecordings.co.uk. For further media information please contact Mike Purcell at Concrete Recordings on 07950-035 841, 0161-881 2332 or email: mike@concreterecordings.co.uk.
• Gerber Foods will be serving Fairtrade juice, Fruit Passion, and Traidcraft Geobars at their Cuba themed stall.

The Co-operative Group will be sampling Fairtrade chocolate and selling Fairtrade chocolate, brownies, oranges and orange juice.

For more information please contact: The Fairtrade Foundation: Abi Murray or Eileen Maybin Tel: 020 7440 7686 Mobile: 07770 957 451