Fairtrade Fortnight (now a month!!) is a campaign that promotes Fairtrade certified products and raises awareness of them to the public.
https://www.fairtrade.ie/fairbruary-2025/
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between some of the most disadvantaged farmers and workers in the developing world and the people who buy their products.
When farmers and workers can sell on Fairtrade terms, it provides them with a better deal: an opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fairtrade offers us a powerful way to reduce poverty through our everyday shopping.
https://www.fairtrade.ie/get-involved/fairtrade-schools/
An activity to consider for older children in “Fairbuary” could be – exploring global food chains.
Objective:
To help students understand how food travels from farms to their plates through global supply chains and to explore the importance of Fairtrade in ensuring fair treatment for farmers and workers around the world.
What You Need:
- A world map or globe
- Pictures or labels of common food items (e.g., bananas, chocolate, coffee, tea, rice)
- Paper and markers
- Fairtrade logo or packaging from Fairtrade products (optional)
Activity:
- Introduction: Begin by discussing how the food we eat often comes from different parts of the world. Show students common food items like bananas, chocolate, and tea, and ask them if they know where these foods are grown. Highlight the global food chain, explaining how food travels from farms in other countries to supermarkets and finally to our tables.
- Mapping the Food Journey:
- Have students pick a food item and work in pairs or small groups.
- Using a world map, trace the journey of the chosen food item from the country where it’s grown or produced to Ireland.
- Label each step, including farming, processing, packaging, shipping, and selling in stores.
- Introduction to Fairtrade: Explain that not all farmers and workers are paid fairly for their hard work, especially in developing countries. Introduce the concept of Fairtrade, a system that ensures farmers get fair prices for their products and work in safe conditions.
- Show the Fairtrade logo and discuss what it means. Explain how buying Fairtrade products supports these farmers and their communities.
- Fairtrade Poster Design:
- Ask students to create a poster promoting Fairtrade products. Encourage them to include the benefits of Fairtrade, such as fair wages for farmers, safer working conditions, and helping to protect the environment.
- Display the posters in the classroom or around the school to raise awareness.
Discussion Questions:
- Why is it important to pay farmers fairly for their work?
- How does buying Fairtrade products help people and the planet?
- What are some ways we can make better choices when shopping for food?
