Sign our Community Declaration, plant some seeds – or simply pop something Fairtrade in your shopping basket.
This Great Big Green Week (24 September to 2 October 2022) the Fairtrade Foundation is asking people to ‘Sow their Solidarity’ with farmers overseas, who are already facing the worst impacts of climate change.
You can do this in three ways.
1. Sign your Community Declaration
We’re asking as many people as possible to sign their local Community Declaration. This will show local politicians in your area that there is real grassroots support for global action on climate justice. This is even more important as the COP27 climate summit takes place this November.
2. Plant wildflowers
This Great Big Green Week, thousands of Fairtrade campaigners are literally ‘Sowing their Solidarity’ by planting native British wildflower seeds in their community.
By joining them, you can:
- Protect and enhance local biodiversity
- Show your solidarity with farmers in low-income countries who are already working hard to tackle the worst effects of climate change.
We recently gave away about 5,000 packets of seeds, which we can’t wait to see being planted. If you missed out, you could pick up some seeds from the RSPB shop or the Oxfam shop.
Don’t forget to share your amazing planting with the hashtags #GreatBigGreenWeek and #SowYourSolidarity.
3. Make a Fairtrade purchase
Picking up Fairtrade teabags, chocolate or even a bunch of Fairtrade flowers is better for humanity – and the planet.
Around the world, Fairtrade farmers are already investing in climate-smart farming techniques, planting trees, and protecting their communities against extreme weather.
Choosing Fairtrade means choosing more power and more income for farmers taking on the climate crisis.
Your voice matters
Right now, communities in low-income countries that have done the least to cause the climate crisis are seeing its worst effects. They are also often the same communities unable to earn enough for a decent life due to unfair trade and extreme global inequality.
By taking part in our ‘Sow Your Solidarity’ campaign, you are supporting our efforts to challenge the governments of wealthy and high-polluting countries – including the UK – to stick to promises made at COP26 in 2021. These governments promised to fund the work agricultural communities are already doing to take action on the climate crisis.
A year on, many of these communities, including Fairtrade farmers and workers, are still waiting.
We are running out of time to get this right. our global food supply is threatened by climate change. Communities here in the UK are playing their part – now our political leaders need to do likewise.
Stefan Donnelly, Campaigns Supporter Engagement Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation
What is Great Big Green Week?
The Fairtrade Foundation is an official partner of Great Big Green Week, which is run by the Climate Coalition. It’s the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.
Dozens of Fairtrade campaigners are running events during Great Big Green Week to highlight how fairer trade is crucial in tackling the climate crisis. Check out six of our favourite events so far, and visit the Great Big Green Week website for many more.