Fairtrade fortnight begins

Fairtrade fortnight is now officially underway in Australia.

Fairtrade Australia is the national certification body that upholds Fair Trade standards. On social media, Fairtrade Australia is asking people to describe why they support the initiative, using #buyfair throughout Fair trade Fortnight.

Fairtrade Australia’s campaign is calling on Australians to consider where the products that they buy come from, and to remove the “shadow of a doubt” that they were made under exploitative conditions.

Today we launch #FairtradeFortnight, a time to come together and celebrate the benefits of Fairtrade. Look out for the #FairtradeMARK and #BUYFAIR this fortnight, to remove the shadow of doubt about where your products come from. https://t.co/eC5962Vgsi pic.twitter.com/rEqLE0950N

— Fairtrade Australia (@FairtradeAU) August 3, 2018

The Fair Trade Association’s Anna Ilagan works with churches and faith groups wanting to get involved with Fair Trade. Mrs Ilagan told Insights that Fair Trade fortnight gave Christians the opportunity to think about where their goods originally came from.

“Anything that we buy can have a story of misery or empowerment,” Ms Ilagan said.

“Fair Trade is a vehicle that lets us clearly look at the supply chain of what we purchase.

“It’s really important for us to engage in social justice activities as Christians we think about what we consume and how that affects people on the other side of the word”

A number of Fairtrade Fortnight events are planned across NSW and the ACT.

In the Blue Mountains, for example, a Fair Trade Bazaar will sell Fairtrade certified items at the Glenbrook Community Hall on Saturday, 11 August.

The Fair Trade Association has ten guiding principles for Fair Trade. The first is that it offers an opportunity for those producers who are currently economically disadvantaged.

Mrs Ilagan is also a member of the Western Sydney fair trade network, a group of like-minded business owners who sell Fair trade-certified products.

Churches who would like to have a conversation about involvement in Fair Trade can contact Anna Ilagan here.

2018 marks the second time that Fairtrade fortnight is running during August.

Fairtrade Fortnight runs until 18 August 2018.

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor