Fairtrade Fortnight in Ludlow is back! Taking place from 27 February to 12 March 2023, Fairtrade Fortnight will spotlight the harmful effect of the climate crisis on the future of our food.
Did you know that cocoa, bananas and coffee are at risk? We take these foods for granted, but climate change, combined with deeply unfair trade, means that the communities growing these crops are being pushed to the brink.
Ludlow prides itself on being a “foodie” town, boasting a wealth of independent cafes, delicatessens, restaurants, pubs, greengrocers, cheesemongers and shops selling high quality, locally sourced produce. We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by miles of beautiful countryside and have a strong agricultural community.
With the climate crisis making the headlines, shoppers are becoming more conscientious about where their food comes from and how it is produced. Quite rightly, we place high importance on the welfare and rights of the farming community, choosing to buy from them directly rather than from large supermarkets where we can’t always guarantee that farmers are being paid fairly.
This is applaudable and we should take pride in our local food scene. What we should not overlook, however, is that we still import much of our food. This means that the community of farmers we rely on goes far beyond our county borders.
When we ask ourselves, “who grew my food?”, do we picture small-scale farmers in remote communities in Columbia, Ghana, Ecuador and Costa Rica? These are the people who grow many of our favourite products, and without them our shelves would look much barer. And yet, it’s these communities who are already facing extreme hardship due to unfair trade and who are feeling worst effects of climate change: increasingly extreme weather, more frequent plant disease and more insecure food supplies.
This Fairtrade Fortnight, the Ludlow Fairtrade Town Group ask you to join the campaign to make a difference to these communities and save our favourite foods!
We can make a difference through our shopping choices. When we choose food that’s fairly traded, such as those which are certified Fairtrade, we can guarantee that the producer has been paid fairly and that the product has been grown in an environmentally friendly way. We’re also supporting a move towards trade and climate justice, saying “no” to the deep inequalities and harmful practices that are rooted in our current trade system.
In Ludlow, you can buy Fairtrade (or fairly traded) staples such as tea, coffee, sugar, bananas, chocolate, rice, wine and snacks from local, independent shops such as Myriad and Broad Bean, as well as in supermarkets such as Tesco, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Aldi.
Just look out for the Fairtrade mark, or ask the store owner where the product comes from, who grew it, and how it was grown. Shops which sell Fairtrade certified products will display the Ludlow Fairtrade window sticker.
Whatever our budget and wherever we shop, by making the small switch to fair trade, we can all support producers in protecting the future of some of our most-loved food and the planet.
If you’re not sure where to start, then Fairtrade Fortnight is the perfect time to give it a go. The Ludlow Fairtrade Town Group have organised several activities and events to provide more information about fair trade and climate justice, as well as an opportunity to sample and buy delicious, ethically sourced food.
What’s on in Ludlow
There’s plenty going in in Ludlow over Fairtrade Fortnight! There are details on the poster below, and if you’d like further information then please email Laura: laura.heintz17@gmail.com.
To get involved in wider Fairtrade Fortnight activities such as online Great Big Get Togethers, visit the Fairtrade Foundation website.
Ludlow Fairtrade 