Fairtrade
Bochica, a pleasingly affordable eco-chic boutique for men and women that's usually to be found only on the web is teaming up with bespoke textile design team Emmeline 4 Re to open a pop-up shop in London for one week only (this one). So I recommend a visit if you're in the London area and want to stock up on some ethical threads before summer kicks in properly.
Prices start at just £8 (almost unheard of in the eco fashion world!) which is why I'm heading over there right now!
Related: Emmeline 4 Re: from landfill to catwalk
Fairtrade
We're into the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight now, and judging by the official calendar of events, this second half of the event seems to be all about the tastier things in life: if you're in Brighton, you can drop in on Infinity Foods on North Road for a spot of chocolate tasting, all day with Divine. In Leicestershire, kids can take part in what's promisingly called a 'choca moneky challenge' at South Wigston High School, Wigston, while Bassaleg school in Newport is holding 'Bring a banana to school day'.
So what's the big deal with bananas?
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Green News
Divine make some of the scrummiest fairtrade chocolate around, in my opinion, and to mark the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, they're giving away a free bar to anyone who takes the time to fill out this form.
The reason Divine tastes so good may well come down to the quality of the cocoa butter that goes into the chocolate and I was interested to learn that Divine uses the very same melt-on-the-skin cocoa butter from Kuapa Kokoo as The Body Shop includes in its Body Butter products. Through trade with both organisations, over 50,000 small-scale farmers now receive a fair, above average price for their above average cocoa butter. The trade also contributes to Kuapa's social fund which is used to provide schools, wells, drinking water and medical facilities.
Related: Recipes with a heart from Divine Chocolate
competitions
Fairtrade fortnight gets underway from next week, and alongside the official programme of events, there are loads of activities with a fairtrade theme going on.
Cafédirect are marking the occasion with a programme of foodie-friendly events at Whole Foods Market, Kensington High Street in London, and they're offering you the chance to win a pair of tickets to any of the 'Meet the Expert's sessions and Acoustic Music nights during TasteFair
Read on after the jump for details
Related: Stars go nuts for Fairtrade Fortnight
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Green News
We're only a week away from Fairtrade Fortnight, which promises to be full of more events and happenings than any other year. And to remind us all of the upcoming occasion in style, a bevvy of celebs including ER actress Alex Kingston have donned jewellery made from fairtrade nuts provided by Liberation Nuts. The images will be included in an exhibition opening at the Eden Project in Cornwall next week.
Fairtrade Fortnight has become an annual fixture in any green's calendar, and I always find it immensely cheering to learn how much progress has been made with each year that passes. It kicks off this year with a fun family sports day on London's South Bank, which promises to be even bigger than last year's hugely successful fairtrade fairground! Watch this space for more details.
Related: Date for your diary: World Fair Trade day - 9th May
Green News
Say the words 'fair trade' to most people, they'll probably think about coffee. Or perhaps tea, chocolates or not-very-sexy jewellery. But fair trade is about so much more than commodities, which is why World Fair Trade day, taking place this year on 9th May is so worthwhile.
As a consumer, you can make a far bigger impact on global poverty than you might have realised, and harnessing that power is what World Fair Trade Day is all about. Run by the World Fair Trade Organisation, this year's theme is 'Big Bang' and events will be aimed at beating the drum for fair trade in all sorts of ways.
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Green News
I doubt that many people would be surprised to hear that France's fashionable First Lady decided to bring back a piece of local style from her first official overseas visit; a recnet trip to Khayelitsha, South Africa. But Carla Bruni-Sarkozy also made sure she was doing her bit to help local communities when she picked out this brightly-coloured 'township' bag to sell back home, with profits going towards establishing a new cooperative that will provide sustainable employment for ten disadvantaged women.
The bags (which seem to have been re-named the 'Carla'!) are made from a hessian and cotton blend, and are bound to become fashion statements overnight. If you want to be ahead of the curve (and do some good at the same time) you can pick one up for € 100.00 at Colette.
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