Where do our bananas come from, what’s involved in making Fairtrade chocolate, how can a workers’ cooperative help and what’s the problem with fast fashion? Students at The Radclyffe School found the answers to these and lots of other questions at their first Fairtrade conference this week.
Through interactive workshops the children got crafty to create wallets from waste, turned to drama to imagine life on farms where trade isn’t fair, and discovered how chocolate is tested with all five senses.
Using Fairtrade bananas, students created their own banana smoothies by bike. An adapted bicycle pedal-powered the blender to make the drink.
Leading the workshops were Helen and Sophie from Fair & Funky, Rob from Suma Wholefoods, Sam from Pockets Theatre and Katie from Trading Visions.
The event ended with the students listening to the Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, Mike Gidney. Mike spoke of how our choices of what products to buy can either help producers or cause harm. Goods that carry the Fairtrade Mark ensure that the producers always receive a fair price.
On a recent visit to Ghana, Mike had seen how Fairtrade-registered farms benefited the farmers but also their families, their communities and protected the environment through higher standards.
The Fairtrade Foundation works with businesses, campaigners and consumers to make trade fair for farmers around the world.
Year Manager Claire Imeson, who organised the day said, “All the workshops gave the students powerful messages about the benefits of using Fairtrade goods. Staff and students learnt a lot, which will inspire us to make greater use of Fairtrade goods in school. We hope students will encourage their parents to make Fairtrade choices in their shopping too.”