Fairtrade Week South Africa

This seven-day campaign is back to show ordinary people how they can bring about extraordinary change with the tiniest of acts

Latest update: March 2014

Fairtrade Week returns to South Africa from Monday, 10 to Sunday, 16 March 2014 for the third consecutive year to convince the general public that drinking a cup of morning coffee can help build a crèche and that wine-ding down at the end of the workweek can contribute to financing school fees, uniforms and stationery for kids in farming communities.

Both claims seem too good to be true, but that’s the beauty of the Fairtrade movement – your everyday acts do actually translate into real, tangible change. And this year, the promotional week looks to drive home this reality even more pointedly with incredible giveaways and a bit of edutainment to boot.

In short, aside from giving the freebie-loving masses a chance to come away with awesome prizes, the campaign is an opportunity for people to stop pretending they actually know the definition of Fairtrade and to start getting clued up. And by the way, there’s no better time to get going than now, so read on to learn more about the ABCs of Fairtrade, how it works, how you can get involved, how you can win over the week, and most importantly, how eating chocolate can cut down an entire community’s electricity costs.

WHAT IS FAIRTRADE?

The Fairtrade label is the most trusted ethical certification in the world, and it acts as a signal to consumers that a product’s producers have met the system’s rigorous set of international standards.

In technical terms, it requires producers to have improved labour and living conditions for workers, made environmental care a priority and promoted fairer trading policies. More tangibly, to bear the insignia on his or her products, a farmer has to have grown crops without the use of harmful chemicals, eliminated child labour and discrimination in the workplace, given workers a fair wage and provided these same employees with a Fairtrade Development Premium (a portion of the profits from every sale that the workers can reinvest in social and community upliftment projects, like the crèche, the school-fee kitty and the electricity cost-cutting initiative mentioned above). 

As a consumer, keep in mind that only products with the official badge of approval are Fairtrade; so don’t be fooled by greenwashing or false labelling. What makes the Fairtrade brand so credible and transparent are the regularly conducted annual independent audits that ensure and verify that the label is worth its salt.

WHY SHOULD YOU GET INVOLVED IN FAIRTRADE WEEK?

1. You can win fantastic prizes by participating in Fairtrade’s daily social media giveaways. The organisation has everything from Reuben Riffel cookbooks and a weekend getaway package to Fairtrade product hampers and Woolworths vouchers up for grabs. To get stuck in, simply like the FairtradeSA Facebook page or follow FairtradeSA and #FairtradeWeek on Twitter.

2. When you buy a Fairtrade product (see chart at bottom of page), part of the profit is reinvested in healthcare, education and community development projects. For instance, in the Breede River Valley, the Fairtrade model has beget a beautiful, colourful crèche for the little ones, has championed the empowerment of women in the community and has helped one man’s son to finish his degree in information systems engineering (read this Fairtrade producer’s heart-warming story).

3. You’re keeping it local! Fairtrade is making African society more equal. From small-scale rooibos-growing communities in Wupperthal and farm workers in Stellenbosch to coffee smallholders in the village of Moshi, Tanzania, the entire continent benefits.

4. You’re helping maintain South Africa’s position as the Fairtrade emerging economy model. Keeping Mzansi in the spotlight as a trailblazer is an important part of proving to the world’s superpowers that our country is incredible and a truly worthy global player.  

5. It’s an excuse to drink more wine. Did you know that South Africa is the number one producer of Fairtrade wine in the world? Let’s keep this accolade alive and give more of the winelands farmers impetus to adopt a Fairtrade model.

6. Fairtrade is one of the top 10 most desirable brands on the planet (just a few places down from Apple!). Fairtrade is hotter than Jared Leto right now. Millions of consumers across the globe, from the UK and Germany to Brazil and India, choose Fairtrade products every day! Be part of this international movement in support of the people who grow our food.

7. You’re supporting sustainable agricultural practices in South Africa and around the world. In the wise words of Terry Swearingen, “We are living on the planet as if we have another one to go to.”

HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE FAIRTRADE WEEK?

While the main aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about the Fairtrade movement and celebrate collective power, there are a few things you can do throughout the week to show your commitment:

• Chase away the Monday blues with a caffeine fix from one of these Fairtrade coffee houses: Woolworths W Café, Bean There, Four & Twenty Café, The Kirstenbosch Tea Room or Bolo’bolo Anarchist Infoshop & Coffee House.
• Get your company to be a part of the revolution by joining Fairtrade at Work. It’s also an excellent corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunity.
• On Friday, say hello to the weekend with a toast. Grab a glass at a restaurant serving Fairtrade wine (think Spur, Moyo, Societi Bistro, The Slug & Lettuce or Col’Cacchio) or buy a bottle of one of the vinos listed below, find a perch somewhere in our beautiful city and enjoy the sunset.
• Lucky for you, all plain Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bars are Fairtrade certified! So this week, you have a brilliant excuse (not that you need one) to gobble, bake or cook with one of South Africa’s favourite chocolates. 

---

Read more about Eco Furniture Design, a producer that’s not officially Fairtrade certified, but that’s captured our hearts nonetheless with its focus on environmental sustainability and upskilling in the workplace. 

---

Use our events section for an up-to-date overview of happenings in Cape Town. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and if you have a smart phone, add m.capetownmagazine.com to your home screen for quick access on the go!