For Fairtrade Fortnight, Fairtrade Pocklington held an evening to support Chocolate Has a Name

The ‘Chocolate Has A Name’ project aims to add value to cocoa farming in Ghana by teaching the skills of chocolate making.

The event took place at All Saints’ Church on Friday 20th September and was a celebration of cocoa and its impact on culture in Ghana.

The audience was treated to poetry and art inspired by cocoa and fair trade. There was traditional West African storytelling by Nana Essi, who also led a session of cocoa mindfulness. Attendees also got to taste a powerful (but non-alcoholic) drink served in a dried gourd.

Wendy Voke, Nana Essi and Judith Micklem

Joanna Fianu gave a passionate talk about her experience of fair trade projects in Ghana.

Audience member Clive Dawson commented ‘It was a fun evening. There were so many fascinating elements to it; I didn’t know what was coming next!’

Joanna Fianu adds cocoa beans selected by Pocklington folk on to a Ghanaian art work

During Fairtrade Fortnight this year we were delighted to welcome rice farmer Howard Msukwa to Yorkshire. Howard visited Skipton and talked about how climate change is affecting rice growers and also about the difference that Fair Trade can make to help producers.

Howard was welcomed by Councillor Clare Nash, Mayor of Skipton and Liz Roodhouse, Chair of Skipton Fairtrade.

Howard is from Malawi and produces Kilombero rice, which you can buy from True Origin.

During Fairtrade fortnight Howard visited schools, churches and community groups to speak about the challenges faced by the smallholder farmers and their communities.

True Origin is a fair trade food importer seeking to support smallholder farmers in the global south by building mutually beneficial and empowering partnerships. In 2009, Howard was instrumental in forging a partnership between Malawian rice growers and JTS (now True Origin), a relationship which has developed and strengthened over the last 15 years.

True Origin buys and markets aromatic Kilombero rice from the farmers and over the years has been involved in the funding of a variety of projects supporting seed multiplication, education, ploughs, oxcarts, wells and irrigation. Currently True Origin Partnerships is working with the farmers on various projects including supporting groups of women farmers to develop a business making fuel briquettes from waste rice husks; and is exploring longer term irrigation solutions with the farmers.

Bradford Cathedral celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight with their third annual Big Brew. Members of the congregation enjoyed Fairtrade tea, coffee and cake and took part in a quiz, responding to questions about the changing circumstances of different Fairtrade producers.

Sunday 22nd September marked the close of Fairtrade Fortnight 2024. It’s 30 years since products first hit the shelves with the Fairtrade mark, and this year those taking part were asked to BE THE CHANGE by choosing Fairtrade.

The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts, says:

“Keeping the complex and often overwhelming subject of global trade justice and the role our consumption levels contribute to climate change is an ongoing task. This was our third Big Brew and our involvement in Fairtrade as Bradford Cathedral dates back around twenty years, but we can’t rest on our laurels. Our congregation, like many others, want to be engaged in this work but there are so many other competing issues to be involved it would be understandable to let this slip from their priorities. They did, however, participate in this year’s Big Brew with generosity and enthusiasm.

What we are learning, as the Eco Group, is that little and often is the way to keep this important topic as part of the conversation. As we celebrate 30 years of the mark, we look forward to supporting Fairtrade organisations, like Transform Trade, for another 30 years!”

Wish is 4 a fairer world, a Fairtrade world, where the poorest communities have the chance to trade fairly with the rest of the world…you and me. “Fairtrade was first mentioned when we started selling chocolate online and giving part of the price to a hunger relief project. ‘Why not use Fairtrade chocolate?’ they said. So we did.” At Wish4, they bring you the best quality, tastiest, food & drink, from Fairtrade certified grower co-ops around the world. And only sell Fairtrade and fairly traded products, nothing else. We all Wish4 a fair deal in life, and the opportunity to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. So we’re making it our business to make entrepreneurs in great communities get that chance.

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