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A Fairtrade City
The number of shops, cafés and restaurants selling Fairtrade products in Hull has doubled in the last year. But do the people of Hull care, do we participate and do we understand Fairtrade? Hull in print went into the city centre to find out.
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Alex Kirk, from west Hull, says: "I buy Fairtrade quite a lot. I'm studying performing arts at Hull College and many of the students know about Fairtrade. I think it's brilliant that for every pound I spend on Fairtrade goods, a larger share of the profit goes back to growers and producers in countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. It gives them a much better deal." |
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Christine Ralphs, from Beverley Road, says: "I have bought Fairtrade products before, but only at Christmas. The rest of the year I rarely buy Fairtrade goods. I have a rough idea of the principles behind Fairtrade – it gives people a fair wage for their work and helps them become more independent – so I think most people would support it."
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Gillian Hood, from central Hull, says: "Supermarkets are starting to take Fairtrade seriously at long last, but there is still a long way to go. The demand for it needs to grow. If more people bought Fairtrade from supermarkets, this would make all supermarkets increase their product lines. At the moment, Fairtrade is a relatively small proportion of what they sell."
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Daniel Giddings, from central Hull, says: "I have bought Fairtrade tea and coffee in the past. The number of places selling Fairtrade stuff in Hull seems to be on the increase, but it's probably as easy to buy things over the Internet. I think you can get quite a large range of stuff these days such as fresh fruit, nuts, jams, wines, beers, and yoghurt." |
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Gordon Beevers, from Sutton, says: "If I had the choice of buying Fairtrade or non-Fairtrade, I'd probably go for Fairtrade – but that would depend on the quality, value and price. I can't buy them as much as I'd like, because there isn't much choice in Sutton's local shops. I think it would be a good idea for Hull's residential shops to stock more Fairtrade items." |
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Shu-mei Li, from the university area, says: "I really support Fairtrade and buy these goods whenever I can. Fairtrade Fortnight held every year in Hull really helps, because it brings a lot of publicity and gets people thinking and talking about it. A few years ago, it wasn't this popular, and I think it will carry on growing now." |
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For a full list of Fairtrade outlets in Hull, plus information about Fairtrade events in the city, visit www.fairtradehull.org.uk *
For a free copy of the Fairtrade Guide to Hull, call 300300
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Simply Divine
If you've ever eaten a Divine Fairtrade chocolate bar, you've tasted the success of the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative in Ghana, Africa.
The cooperative helps 45,000 farmers in 1,500 different villages to collectively produce cocoa for its Divine chocolate brand, sold up and down the country in supermarkets and other outlets, including Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.
Erica Kyere (pictured right) is society development officer for the cooperative. She has played a major role in developing education programmes for the farmers and their children.
Last month, as part of a visiting group from Kuapa Kokoo, she came to Hull for a Fairtrade business breakfast and schools event in order to raise awareness about how Fairtrade can make a real difference to people's lives.
"Through Fairtrade, we can help farmers to have more control over their lives. It's a good story coming out of Africa – a light in the darkness.
"Africans are helping themselves out of poverty by being able to trade fairly with other producers."
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Blend of success
Buying a jar of Cafédirect Fairtrade coffee helps people like Fatima Lopez from Nicaragua, pictured right.
Fatima works for Prodecoop, a cooperative which supports 40 small-scale coffee producers employing more than 2,000 people.
By selling coffee in the UK through Cafédirect, local people have been able to build sanitary and healthcare services in their communities.
More than 2,000 children have been supplied with books and backpacks, and others have been awarded scholarships to help pay for their education.
"Working with Cafédirect has helped us a lot; not just in terms of the cooperative, but in our communities as well," says Fatima, who is head coffee taster, having undergone a training programme with Prodecoop.
The cooperative is just one of 37 Fairtrade-registered grower organisations in 12 countries with which Cafédirect has direct trading relationships.
By paying fair prices and working directly with small-scale growers, Cafédirect enables them to develop their businesses.
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