Labour MEPs have celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 with a Fairtrade bun and cake sale in the European Parliament.
The money raised will go to an international development project aimed at helping girls and women at the Kilima Hewa School in Moshi, Tanzania. They educate up to 200 children aged 3-7 and many pupils walk 6km to reach the school. Funds raised by the Fairtrade cake sale will help towards the cost of sponsoring more children at £40 each per year.
MEPs and their staff rolled up their sleeves and got baking to demonstrate that not only is Fairtrade a really easy way of helping to lift some of the world’s poorest people out of poverty, but also really tasty.
North West MEP Afzal Khan said:
“The UK leads the world when it comes to Fairtrade, with more products available and more awareness than anywhere else. This is helping to transform the livelihoods of more than 1.4 million people in 74 countries around the world.
“There are more Fairtrade products available than ever before. The old favourites like coffee, chocolate are bananas are choices we can make every day, but also Fairtrade gold, clothes made from Fairtrade cotton, toiletries and even handbags are available.
“The Fairtrade mark, which now features on more than 4,500 products, tells shoppers farmers have been paid the Fairtrade Minimum Price, plus an additional Fairtrade Premium to invest in local business or community projects.”
“Children in one of the poorest countries on the planet will now have the chance of a better future. Every penny raised will help these young girls get an education and enable themselves and their communities to prosper.
“Fairtrade empowers small-scale farmers and workers through trade, rather than aid, to enable them to maintain their livelihoods, reach their potential and offer a future to their children.” he added.