Best of Fairtrade 2018 - from vegan to organic and ethical

1. Fairtrade products you didn’t know were vegan

One of the questions we got asked most in 2018 was which Fairtrade products were also vegan. To help us answer, Amy from our commercial team went on the hunt to see what she could come up with and found some surprising results. With everything from candles to peanut butter, here’s what she discovered.

Read now: 9 Products You Didn’t Know Were Vegan

2. How Fairtrade farmers protect the environment

Climate change was on everyone’s lips this year with increasing temperatures and abnormal weather patterns affecting us all. While this might mean little more than a scorching summer for people in the UK, for farmers in developing countries the threat is much more severe. We took a look at how Fairtrade is helping farmers tackle climate change while reducing their own carbon footprint.

Read now: 8 ways Fairtrade farmers protect the environment

Producers tending pine trees in a nursery located on the mountainside of Cajas near the village of Choco in northern Peru. The project was conducted with the help of the NGO Progreso.

3. Top 12 facts about Fairtrade bananas

We celebrated Banana Lover’s day in style with some of our favourite facts about this versatile fruit. (Or is it a herb? Or a tree?!) From using the skins to shine your shoes to help calm pesky mosquito bites, there’s much more to the humble banana than meets the eye.

Read now: Top 12 Facts About Fairtrade Bananas

4. What Trump means by Free and Fair Trade

Donald Trump visited the UK this year to protests and his very own baby balloon. The US President frequently vocalizes his support for “Fair Trade” but with a, let’s say, ‘different’ understanding of the term than we do. Our policy and advocacy manager, Helen Dennis, examined this difference and the negative impact it can have on farmers.

5. Top Organic and Fairtrade products

Did you know that over 50% of farmers choose to go organic? That’s often because they see organic as a way to improve not just their livelihoods, but to support the environment and ensure that they are not exposed to harmful chemicals. In honour of Organic September, we picked some of our favourite organic and Fairtrade products to put in your shopping basket.

6. The true cost of fast fashion

In April, we joined forces with Fashion Revolution for their annual campaign to demand change and trade justice in the fashion industry. We took a look at the dangers of fast fashion and what we can each do to help break the cycle.

7. Where to buy sustainable ethical cotton for your home

Following on from Fashion Revolution, we highlighted some of the brilliant companies supporting Fairtrade cotton. From beautiful bed linen to organic towels, these household staples mean that you can rest content knowing that the farmers responsible are treated fairly for their work.

8. Which coffee shops near me sell Fairtrade

Of course, there’s plenty of ways to choose Fairtrade outside of your home too! With so many coffee shops and restaurants offering hot drinks, it can be difficult to know who’s ethical and who’s not. From the National Trust to your local Pizza Hut, we took a look at places up and down the UK who serve Fairtrade.

Read now: Which coffee shops near me sell Fairtrade

9. Is the future of chocolate at risk?

Many of us cannot imagine a world without chocolate but it is a very real possibility. World cocoa prices plunged by more than a third last year, and it is farmers who bear the brunt of price volatility. Recently we announced that we will raise the Fairtrade Minimum Price for cocoa from $2,000 to $2,400 per metric tonne to help combat this.

Read now: Is the future of chocolate at risk?

10. Fairtrade farmers visit the UK for Fairtrade Fortnight

Of course, our biggest highlight of the year was Fairtrade Fortnight, where we welcomed farmers and workers to schools and businesses throughout the UK. In this blog, Adam from the campaigns team reflects on an amazing two weeks (even with the beast from the east) and what Fairtrade Fortnight means to him.

Read now: Fairtrade farmers visit the UK for Fairtrade Fortnight