Wishing You A Fairtrade Mother's Day

Mothers on both sides of the world will benefit when you treat your Mum to a Mother’s Day gift from the range on offer which display the FAIRTRADE Mark.

Your Mum will receive a thoughtful gift, and you will have the added bonus of knowing that families on the other side of the world will benefit from your purchase. Mothers on the other side of the world – those who grow the roses, cocoa, sugar, honey, vanilla and other products – will be able to provide their families with a better future.

There are now more than 2,500 products available which carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, the only independent guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries.

Cocoa farmer Comfort Kwaasibea from the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa co-operative in Ghana which supplies cocoa to the Divine and Dubble brands and Co-op own brand chocolate says: “Through Fairtrade and Kuapa we now have a lot of progress. We have good drinking water, toilet facilities and schools. Kuapa pays the farmers on time and there is no cheating. Before Fairtrade the scales were often rigged when the cocoa was weighed."

For a delicious start to Mother’s Day, look for the Divine chocolate gift basket which features the full range of Divine’s six gorgeous flavours in 100g bars - Divine Milk chocolate in perfect combination with chopped roasted hazelnuts, tangy orange, and dark rich coffee; plus Divine White chocolate with natural cocoa butter and vanilla, and Divine Dark chocolate, with 70% cocoa. There are also 30 of the new mini-chocolate bars – half Divine Milk and half Divine Dark chocolate plus a bag of Divine milk chocolate coins. The basket costs £25.00 and is available from www.divinechocolate.com.

Say it with roses by sending a bunch of Fairtrade flowers. Workers on the Fairtrade flower farms in Kenya have used the Fairtrade social premium – the additional sum included in all Fairtrade items - to buy school and sports equipment and upgrade children’s playgrounds. Future plans for the premium include buying iron roofing sheets for a primary school and digging bore holes to supply local communities with clean water. Look for Fairtrade Roses with Lisianthus & Ruscus bouquets, £24.50 from www.tesco.com or 16 Fairtrade roses by post for £22 from www.johnlewis.com or pick up a bunch before the weekend from many major supermarkets.

For Sira Souko, a Fairtrade cotton farmer from Batimakana in Mali, the difference that Fairtrade has made is very significant. The set minimum Fairtrade price has proved a lifeline to farmers in one of the world’s poorest countries. The additional social premium has been spent on projects including a grain store and new school buildings. Sira explains: “Fairtrade has put money into the hands of women to meet our children’s needs. We can buy pens and notebooks so they can go to school. We have bought seeds and fertiliser to grow vegetables and improve our family’s diet.” Treat your mother to some crisp cotton sheets or some soft fresh towels made from Fairtrade certified cotton from a range from www.oxtoncotton.com, Bishopston Trading Company www.bishopstontrading.co.uk or Marks & Spencer.

Say cheers to your mum with a lovely bottle of Fairtrade wine. At Stellar Winery in South Africa the Fairtrade price and social premium have made a real difference to employees’ quality of life. The Fairtrade premium has been used to fund health care on the farm for workers, and a Community Watch programme to combat crime and antisocial behaviour, staffed and run by the community.

Maria Malan, Farm Manager at Stellar Winery says "Since we have joined the Fairtrade system, we receive on a periodical basis part of the profit of the farm. My life and those of my fellow workers has changed. After Stellar Organics became a Fairtrade certified farm, the possibilities were there to improve our lifestyles and securities," For a full list of the 115 Fairtrade wines available see www.fairtrade.org.uk .
There are currently over 2,500 products in shops, cafés and the catering sector now carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK. They include coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, snacks and biscuits, sugar, nuts, honey, fruit juices and smoothies, fresh fruit, wine, ice cream, flowers, footballs and cotton products. To find out more visit www.fairtrade.org.uk

Notes to Editor
For more information please contact Margaret Rooke or Martine Julseth at the Fairtrade Foundation at margaret.rooke@fairtrade.org.uk; or martine.julseth@fairtrade.org.uk; or call 020 7440 7695.

1. The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 5 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products that meet international Fairtrade standards.

The Fairtrade Foundation,
Room 204, 16 Baldwin’s Gardens,
London EC1N 7RJ.

Tel: 020 7405 5942
Fax: 020 7405 5943
Web: www.fairtrade.org.uk