Did you know? ...By switching your workplace to Fairtrade certified tea, coffee and other products, you can help make a difference to the lives of farmers and workers in some of the world’s poorest countries. Fairtrade need more local businesses, social and community groups to declare their support for this initiative. Although many of them do actively support the concern, some have have yet to register accordingly.

There’s so much to choose from…

More than 2,000 products in the UK from 58 developing countries now carry the Fairtrade Mark, including hot drinks, biscuits, fresh fruit and juices. And because these items are now so widely available from catering suppliers, wholesalers, online and all major supermarkets, it’s simple for your place of work to join the thousands of others who’ve made the change.

The Fairtrade Mark is an independent consumer label, which appears on a range of retail and catering products as a guarantee that disadvantaged farmers, and workers in the developing world are getting a better deal.

Your workplace can help change the world!

As well as guaranteeing a fair price for the farmers, the Fairtrade Mark also means an additional Fairtrade premium is invested in community development projects chosen by the farmers and workers. The farmers and workers decide how to invest this additional money in their local community – on education, clean water supplies, health care or other vital facilities.

Fairtrade means that disadvantaged farmers in the developing world can live with more security than they have ever known, giving them access to far-flung markets in richer countries often for the first time. Workers will earn a decent wage; children can go to school knowing they have a real chance of a longer and better education.

Want to get involved?

How you get Fairtrade certified products into your workplace depends on the size and type of organisation you work for. First you will need to identify the decision-maker/procurement manager in your workplace. Ask them to buy Fairtrade certified products for your workplace and offer to give them more information. Next you will need to find out where to buy Fairtrade certified products for your work. Here on the Island, we now have four wholesale outlets registered with the Fairtrade Foundation as distributors of Fairtrade certified products. These are the Island Tea & Coffee Co. Island Food Services and both the Bookers stores. Please see the Isle of Wight Fairtrade Forum Notes for the latest news on the continued expansion of this campaign.

If you are concerned that your workplace may not want to make the switch, why not arrange to hold a tea and coffee tasting event, Fairtrade fruit breakfast or a chocolate and snack sampling session for an afternoon break? For more information about this, please visit the Fairtrade at work website.

Remember... you don't have to be part of a business/ company to become a supporter of Fairtrade. Just look at you weekly shopping and try one of the Fairtrade items each week. All of our main Island Supermarkets have a good range of products. They are not housed in a separate zone, you will find an ever increasing range of Fairtrade products amoungst the mainsteam items.

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