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Fairtrade

The National Federation of NFWI supports Fairtrade and encourages WI members to use accredited products and inform their local communities about the benefits of buying Fairtrade.

The NFWI is a founder member of the Fairtrade Foundation, the body which licenses use of the Fairtrade mark in the UK. As a board member we work with the foundation to transform trade for a fairer deal for the world's poorer populations.

Make It Fair - Join the campaign for Fairtrade tea
Jump straight to the latest campaign update
The NFWI has joined forces with Traidcraft to call on the "big five" tea companies in the UK to go Fairtrade.

Many large companies have recently switched to Fairtrade and we think it's time the biggest tea companies in the UK did the same.		Make It Fair - campaign for Fairtrade tea
WI members will be writing to the "big five" tea companies - Twinings, PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea, Typhoo and Tetley - and asking them to source all their tea from Fairtrade accredited farms.

To tell the tea companies to Make It Fair please visit the online postcard. 

More and more customers are realising the benefits of Fairtrade production, including a guaranteed minimum price for produers and an additional social payment to help communities flourish in some of the world's smallest countries, and want to include Fairtrade products in their weekly shop.

Despite this the major tea companies are continuing to only buy small amounts of Fairtrade tea or none at all. Because of this only 10% of the tea that could be sold as Fairtrade actually is - meaning accredited farmers cannont access the poverty-reducing benefits of Fairtrade.
Campaign update
Campaigners from Traidcraft and the WI have now sent over 35,000 postcards to all the tea companies calling for them to make their tea Fairtrade; over 2,000 postcards have been requested by WI members.

However, the five tea companies have yet to rise to the challenge and pledge to Make It Fair.

You can read the tea companies' reactions to the campaign here:

We recognise the good work that some tea companies have done to date in supporting certification schemes, such as those which seek to achieve environmental sustainability by placing responsibility on farmers to manage their land well.

However, more needs to be done to lift farmers out of poverty by placing responsibility on large buyers to pay sustainable prices.

Fairtrade is extremely recognisable, making the logo an easy tool for shoppers seeking out a more ethical brand. As founder members of the Fair trade Foundation, we believe there is real value in signing up to Fairtrade as an easily understood and independentally verified scheme.

Fairtrade is the only ethical consumer mark that:

  • Guarantees farmers a minimum price, no matter how low the market drops.
  • Promises farmers an additional premium payment to fund community project.
  • Protects farmers from volatile markets by allowing them to request part payment upfront and encouraging log-term trading relationships.
  • Guarantees all the ingredients in a product that can be Fairtrade are Fairtrade. Other schemes may allow their logo to be displayed even if as little as 30% of a product is certified. 

 It is possible for companies that have already signed up to other certification schemes to also buy on Fairtrade terms by working with their suppliers to help them achieve Fairtrade certification.

The NFWI has held meetings with some of the tea companies to discuss how they could adopt Fairtrade. We have also explained that they have been chosen because they are one of the "big five" tea companies, which together represent 72% of the tea bought in the UK and have the power to make huge, positive changes.

A major tea company making a commitment to Fairtrade would immediately increase demand, helping more farmers to access the benefits of Fairtrade. Being targeted in this campaign is not a reflection on the tea companies' individual ethical practices and this has been explained clearly to those concerned.

In joining this campaign the NFWI has built on its existing commitment to Fairtrade. We were a founder member of the Fairtrade Foundation in 1992 and individual WIs have continued to campaign for Fairtrade in their communities. The NFWI is committed to Fairtrade as a development tool to help farmers and workers in some of the world's poorest countries trade their way out of poverty.

Why Fairtrade matters - a case study

Tea plucker Ezekiah Liweuli and his family have been living in a house provided by Kibena Tea in Tanzania for the last six years. He has always wanted to build a home for his wife, Majuto, and their three children. Now, thanks to fair trade, his dream is coming true.

"I am building my own house using my salary for plucking tea", Ezekiah said. "I have also received iron sheets for the roof from the Kibena Tea Fair Trade Fund".

Improved roofing for workers' housing is just one of the benefits that the Fairtrade premium on Traidcraft teas is helping to provide through the Kibena Tea Fair Trade Fund. Community improvements include new classrooms, local health dispensaries and fresh water in local villages.

"Before being at Kibena I worked for a sugar company", Ezekiah said. "I wanted to work at Kibena because of the extra benefits here. I am planning to send my children to secondary school".
To obtain postcards for you WI to lobby the tea companies contact the public affairs department on 020 7371 9300 ext 238 or by email.

For more information check out the Make It Fair campaign leaflet and members' Q&A.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 takes place from 22 February to 8 March.

The theme for this year's event is "The Big Swap" and people are encouraged to swap their usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. So that means buying Fairtrade bananas instead of regular bananas, Fairtrade tea instead of your usual cuppa or pledge to swap something more unusual and discover Fairtrade washing up gloves or socks. Every swap will help raise awareness of the issues that affect farmers and their communities in the developing world so don't forget to register your swap at thebigswap.org.uk and help the Fairtrade Foundation reach their target of one million and one swaps.

Fairtrade Foundation will also be hosting Strictly Fairtrade Tea Dances across the country, providing the perfect next step for members active in the Make It Fair campaign. Local events are planned for many areas, you can check the Fairtrade website to find out if there is a dance near you. Alternatively why not join one of the large dances planned for 27 February in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle. If you would like to be involved please email Veronica Pasteur at the Fairtrade Foundation. 

Past events
WI members regularly participate in Fairtrade Fortnight and other awareness raising events across England and Wales. For Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 members distributed more than 4,000 cakes baked with Fairtrade ingredients to promote the vast array of Fairtrade products.