Faith in Food blog about Fairtrade shares the Christmas story

Blog from Faith in Food:

Make it a Meaningful Christmas…

Photo borrowed from: http://www.meaningfulchristmas.co.uk/

At least 20 million Christmas trees are decorated in Britain every year – but just seven per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 know the Christmas story, according to research by The Meaningful Chocolate Company (MCC).

To jog their memories and help them pass on the story to young members of their families, the Manchester-based MCC has produced a booklet to accompany its Fairtrade Belgian chocolate decorations this year.

MCC has produced a booklet to accompany its Fairtrade Belgian chocolate decorations this year. The booklet means adults and children can share the Christmas story while placing nativity character stickers on the blank discs. Once completed, the five decorations can be hung on the tree as a reminder of the real meaning of Christmas.

David Marshall, from TMMC, said: ‘Research has found that only 12 per cent of adults, and only seven per cent of people aged between 18 and 24, know the Christmas story. So these decorations can help adults communicate the essentials of the Christmas story to the next generation.’

The Meaningful Christmas Tree Decorations cost £4.20 or £4 if more than 20 boxes are ordered at a time. Church orders can be made through www.MeaningfulChristmas.co.uk or exclusively from Traidcraft. Orders should be made by the end of November 2012 as supplies are limited.

More than £60,000 has been raised for charity by TMMC through its Real Easter Egg sales, which has in turn increased the sales of Fairtrade sugar and chocolate. Hundreds of small farmers across Africa have been able to improve their lives as a result.

To read more about The Meaningful Chocolate Company, click here.

Pledge your support to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation

The Scottish Fair Trade Forum need your support to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation!

Pledge Postcard photo from: http://www.scottishfairtradeforum.org.uk/

If you wish to pledge your support for the Campaign to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation please send them an email to info@sftf.org.uk

Please see our blog about the campaign for more information.

Fair Trade Sales Surge

Good news from the Scottish Fairtrade Forum:

Logo borrowed from the Scottish Fairtrade

Forum Website

"UK shoppers spent 12% more on Fairtrade-certified products in 2011 than they did in the year before, according to figures released on 17 July by Fair Trade International. The UK is the world’s biggest market for fairly traded goods.

The surge is part of a general increase in shoppers opting for Fairtrade-certified products with sales of almost €5 billion (£3.85 billion) worldwide in 2011.

Coffee sales led the increase (up 12% year on year), followed by cocoa (up 14%), bananas (9%), sugar (9%), tea (8%) and flowers (11%). More than half of all bananas bought in Switzerland now bear the Fairtrade mark, and in the UK almost half of all bagged sugar in shops will be Fairtrade-certified following the decision of Morrisons supermarket to convert its entire range of sugar to Fair Trade.

The pattern is not restricted to rich Northern countries. South Africans spent more than three times more on Fairtrade certified products in 2011 than in 2010, including products grown in their own country. South Korea, in its first year with a national Fairtrade organisation, registered sales of £13 million.

'The news that the UK is the largest market for Fair Trade goods is unsurprising, with many becoming conscious of the impact that fair pricing has on livelihoods, health and education to producers and their families in the developing world,' said Martin Rhodes, Director of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.

Though there were no separate figures for Scotland, the Scottish Fair Trade Forum sees today’s announcement by Fair Trade International as highlighting the way that Fairtrade is becoming the norm among consumers."

Access their article here.

The Scottish Fairtrade Forum would also like to invite to their Annual Campaign Day on 1st September at Paisley Town Hall from 11:30am. Please see their website for more details.