Fairtrade Fortnight 2016

Fairtrade is a global movement with a strong and active presence in the UK represented by the Fairtrade Foundation. Their stated goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. There is enough food in the world for us all but some farmers and their workers earn so little they cant afford to buy it.  Fairtrade is working to change this by making sure companies pay a fair price for what people grow plus a little extra to invest in their businesses or communities. When you buy products with the Fairtrade Mark you are supporting farmers and workers as they work to improve their lives and expand their businesses. It is an alarming fact that nearly 800 million people in the world are undernourished and we would all like to see some improvement in this.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 runs between 29^th February and 13^th March and this year’s slogan is:

“ SIT DOWN FOR BREAKFAST, STAND UP FOR FARMERS”

Martin Luther King once remarked that before you have finished eating breakfast in the morning you have depended on more than half of the world and these people we take for granted can’t always afford to feed their own families or expand their businesses.

This Fairtrade Fortnight make your breakfast count with Fairtrade products to help ensure food security for the world’s most vulnerable farmers and workers. As an individual you can choose to purchase your  breakfast essentials such as tea, coffee, cocoa, cereal, jam, honey and sugar that have the fairtrade mark. Maybe you can influence other people such as work colleagues, friends and family by telling them about the challenges small farmers are facing. National Campaigners in towns, universities and schools are organising bigger events that you may feel able to support. Read more on their website at www.faitrade.org.uk

 You might like to try this recipe for Nutty Chocolate & Coffee Brownies :

To Make about 12 Brownies you need

• 50g Fair Trade Chocolate, roughly chopped
• 110g Butter
• 2 Eggs beaten
• 225 Unrefined Fair Trade Sugar
• 50g Plain Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• Pinch salt
• 100g Hazelnuts (chopped in half)

For the frosting:

• 100g Butter softened, 100g Icing Sugar, 100g Cream Cheese, 1 Tablespoon strong black Fair Trade Coffee.

Pre Heat oven to 180C/350F. Grease 27 x 18cm tin and line with baking paper rising 3cm above tin. Toast hazelnuts in oven for 0mins until lightly browned. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Sieve flour,baking powder and salt into bowl. Stir in sugar, beat in eggs and chocolate mixture and stir in hazelnuts. Pour mixture into tin and bake for 30-40 mins – remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Make frosting by beating butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy then beat in cream cheese and coffee. Spread frosting on cooled brownies. Chill in fridge for 30 mins then cut into squares.