Fairtrade Fortnight

Fairtrade Fortnight is the highlight of the year for the Fairtrade movement in the UK and in 2019 it will run from Monday 25th February until Sunday 10th March. Fairtrade is also celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade in the
UK.

Fairtrade reveals that without a living income, basic human rights like decent food, accommodation and schooling will not be achievable. The average living income for a cocoa farmer is around £1.90 a day, yet what they earn from cocoa typically falls far short of that. Incomes are low and uncertain, that’s why Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 focuses on the women who grow the cocoa for our chocolate treats with a new She Deserves a Living Income campaign. Fairtrade will highlight some of the things many of us take for
granted, such as education, housing and healthcare, that a living income can provide.

So in recognition of Fairtrade Fortnight and the work that the Fairtrade community does, we want to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid.

A living income means enough money to live a simple but dignified life, paying for essentials such as clothing, medicine and school. We believe this is not a luxury but a human right.

Oxford is a Fairtrade City, and we are lucky to have two awesome Fairtrade shops in our Independent Oxford community. Headington Fairtrade on London Road, is an ethical gift shop selling a wide range of beautiful homeware, jewellery, gifts and accessories from around the world. They also offer a delicious range of Fairtrade food, including Eat Your Hat Fairtrade Chocolate, and household items including an Ecover refilling service! Run as a community run co-operative, Headington Fairtrade is passionate about the importance of fairly traded products and ethical ways of protecting this beautiful blue planet for future generations.

Fairtrade at St Michaels was the first shop in Oxford to offer a high quality range of fairly traded goods from across the globe, safe in the knowledge that our friends in the developing world are being advantaged and the environment is being honoured. They also pride themselves on great customer service and on being kind to the planet.

The shop, organised as a co-operative, was started in October 2003 (Oxford city became a Fairtrade City in 2004) and at present has five people working as unpaid directors, four part-time members of staff and numerous fantastic volunteers. They are grateful to have been given a home by St Michael’s Church at the Northgate in Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

Fairtrade St Michaels operate as a social enterprise in that all profit returns to the business in terms of wages, maintenance and infrastructure. Surplus profit is donated on a regular basis to projects already supported by the shop. Fairtrade at St Michaels is a member of BAFTS and Cooperatives UK.

Fairtrade St Michaels stock Seed and Bean, and Divine chocolate amongst many others sweet treats.

If you fancy getting creative in the kitchen with Fairtrade chocolate, you can pick up a free recipe book from Fairtrade St Michaels along with your Fairtrade ingredients.

If you’re eager to get cracking, here’s a delicious Chocolate Mocha Brownie recipe from the Fairtrade Foundation >>

Chocolate Mocha Brownies

Rich and gooey, these brownies hit the spot when you want an indulgent chocolate fix.

Preparation 25 Mins

Cooking 25 Mins

Serving 16

Ingredients

250g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Light Muscovado Sugar

200g unsalted butter

200g Fairtrade dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

3 large eggs

2 rounded tsp Fairtrade instant espresso powder

1½ tsp vanilla extract

110g plain flour

1 rounded tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

110g pecans (roughly chopped)

Fairtrade cocoa powder (to dust)

You will also need a 20cm (8”) brownie tin greased and the base lined with parchment paper.

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan170°, 375°F, Gas Mark 5.
2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water for a few minutes. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Alternatively, melt it in the microwave for about 1 minute. Stir well and leave to cool a little.
3. Lightly beat together the eggs and Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Light Muscovado Sugar in a bowl with a fork. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Sprinkle over the espresso powder, add the vanilla extract and mix. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir and then mix in the nuts.
4. Tip into the brownie tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until a crust has formed. Remove and leave to cool.
5. Turn out of the tin, discard the parchment and trim the edges, cut into squares, lightly dust with cocoa and serve.

If you would like more information, check out this page about the impact that the Fairtrade Foundation has made.

Love, Rosie

xxx