Sneak peek at Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 -- from fairgrounds to Fairtrade Woman

Wow, that came round quick -- 2008's Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off in a month's time. Festivities begin on 24 February at London's South Bank with the opening of a Fairtrade Fairground complete with a Fairtrade tea cup ride, a Fairtrade coconut shy and candyfloss made from Fairtrade sugar. In true Fairtrade Fortnight style, there'll also be talks by Fairtrade producers, who have come to explain to us consumers how big of a difference Fairtrade makes to them and their communities.

Don't despair if you can't make it to London, though. The Fairtrade Foundation has created a Choose Fairtrade Bus, which will take the "Change Today, Choose Fairtrade" message -- in the form of live music, discussions, tastings, and producer talks -- from London to Ipswich, Leeds, Sunderland, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol during the two weeks.

And then of course there'll be all the local events organised across the country and new Fairtrade product and book launches. Here at SmartPlanet, we're particularly looking forward to the return of Oxfam's Fairtrade woman, who will be living a completely Fairtrade life for the fortnight. We might join her with at least our daily Fairtrade chocolate allowance and a tipple of Fairtrade wine in the evenings.

The Fairtrade movement has taken Britain by storm and there are now more than 3,000 Fairtrade certified products available in the UK. Its popularity is obviously rooted in the philosophy behind it: "By buying a Fairtrade product, we can rest assured that the producers have been paid and treated fairly". But we reckon the high-profile, action-packed Fairtrade Fortnights have enticed many a consumer into the fairness and festivities of Fairtrade, too.

Keep your browsers tuned to SmartPlanet this month for more Fairtrade Fortnight news than you could shake a banana at.

Photo: Fairtrade Foundation

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