A Fairer Easter for People and Planet
This article by Marie Allen, Fairtrade Horsham, was published in West Sussex County Times on 11.3.21
Horsham has been a Fairtrade town since 2005 and we are lucky to have so many shops and cafes which offer Fairtrade products, giving farmers and producers a better deal. Fairtrade Fortnight, which ended on March 8th, had Climate Justice as its theme this year, reflecting the importance of climate change for farmers in the developing world. Many of them are already seeing its impact in droughts, crop disease, floods and heatwaves.
Fairtrade and Climate Justice
Fairtrade means that farmers and producers receive a fair price for their products and that they have safe working conditions. In addition, they receive a Fairtrade premium which they can choose to spend as they see fit. Fairtrade farmers and producers adhere to a set of environmental protection standards and they are encouraged to learn about environmentally friendly practices. Many spend their Fairtrade premium on measures to alleviate the impacts of climate change.
How we can support Fairtrade and Climate Justice
Two suggestions:
• Join the Fairtrade Foundation’s Climate Justice campaign https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-and-climate-justice
• Buy Fairtrade products whenever possible.
There is a huge range of Fairtrade products available. From tea, coffee and bananas through to clothing, wine, gold, flowers and chocolate.
For a Fairer Easter
Why not switch to Easter eggs made with delicious Fairtrade chocolate? Helping cocoa farmers and the planet. Fairtrade Easter eggs are stocked in many supermarkets, including the Co-Op, and a wide range is also available online from:
• Local Fairtrade chocolate company ‘Cocoa Loco’ www.cocoaloco.com
• Our local Fairtrade shop ‘FairKind Child’ in Piries Place www.shop.fairkindchild.co.uk
• Traidcraft at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk Traidcraft sell Easter eggs from Fairtrade brand Divine and the Meaningful Chocolate Company.
The packaging for all these Fairtrade Easter eggs is plastic free.
Also, Fairtrade cooking chocolate to nibble, melt and bake is available from our local ‘Zero Waste Bulk Foods’ www.zerowastebulkfoods.co.uk
Buying Fairtrade chocolate helps cocoa farmers, many of whom are women struggling to earn enough to provide for their families and to send their children to school. You can find out more about Fairtrade chocolate and read cocoa farmer Rosine’s story here: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/farmers-and-workers/cocoa
Supporting the Climate Justice campaign and buying Fairtrade at Easter, and throughout the year, will help to protect the planet and give farmers and producers the chance to build a secure livelihood and a positive future for their children.
I hope you have a very Happy, Sustainable and Fairtrade Easter!
Marie Allen
Fairtrade Horsham – A Fairtrade Town since 2005
Here are some great free ‘Climate, Fairtrade and You’ downloadable resources:
• Education Pack for Primary Schools
https://schools.fairtrade.org.uk/teaching-resources/climate-fairtrade-and-you-education-pack-for-primary-schools/
• Education Pack for Secondary Schools
https://schools.fairtrade.org.uk/teaching-resources/climate-fairtrade-and-you-education-pack-for-secondary-schools/
More Ideas for a Fairer Easter for People and Planet
With some simple swaps you can enjoy a fairer, more sustainable Easter, check out Horsham Eco Churches guest blog by Karen Park for more ideas:
How could we recreate a traditional and more sustainable Easter and still have fun making happy memories?
The shops have more and more Easter items and decorations for sale each year, much of it made from plastic, shipped from the other side of the world and not designed to last. Instead of a cheap plastic basket look out for a second-hand basket to have fun decorating and use for years to come, or clean up and temporarily repurpose a beach bucket! Instead of plastic grass, use shredded paper, scraps of fabric, wool or a scarf, something that can be recycled or reused. Safely store your Easter decorations in a box ready to reuse next year.
You can hand paint wooden eggs for Easter egg hunts year after year. Create fun Easter trails writing clues on recycled card from packaging, and cut out egg shapes in different colours, count the eggs, search for one or more of each colour or pattern and find an Easter Egg or other gift at the end of the trail!
Home baked hot cross buns, Easter cakes or fun shaped Easter biscuits make a lovely gift in a reusable container. Visit Horsham Community Fridge and see what ingredients they have available. They often have a lot of bread, and homemade bread pudding and bread and butter pudding are delicious! In February Horsham Community Fridge saved 50 trolley loads of good food from going to landfill or incineration! https://www.facebook.com/horshamcommunityfridge
Flowers or greenery picked from your garden, locally grown or Fairtrade, in an old jam or coffee jar, with a handwritten label tied on with pretty ribbon, string or wool makes a delightful gift or home decoration.
You can have fun planting seeds or bulbs for your home or garden or as a gift. Nasturtiums are easy to grow in containers or a garden, with climbing or compact varieties available in beautiful colours. The leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible and rich in vitamin C! They are good companion plants attracting pollinators and drawing pests away from other plants. Salad leaves and herbs are easy to grow from seed on a windowsill, just pick them when you are ready to eat them!
Carrie Cort, from Sussex Green Living said: “I have run kids workshops in the past on carbon footprinting of Easter Eggs and then ending with tie dying hard boiled eggs, it is a tradition of years gone by and great fun. We are going to the south downs over Easter to have an Easter Egg race, decorated hard boiled egg rolling down a steep hill!”
Horsham Churches Together invites you to display a cross in your window to represent the true meaning of Easter. You can make, decorate, recycle a cross out of wood, paper or card. #UnfailingLove2021 Follow this link for information about the many Easter Services in person and live streamed from 28th March to 4th April from Horsham Churches Together churches and live streamed Easter Story events on Good Friday: http://horshamct.org.uk/easter/
Ask older family members and friends about the Easter traditions they enjoyed when they were children. Enjoy bringing back some of our more sustainable Easter traditions and introducing some new ones. Spend time outside or looking out of a window enjoying nature, seeing the wonderful signs of new life as the leaves unfurl, the fragrance of spring blossoms and the sound of bird songs fill the air. Wishing you all a Peaceful, Happy Easter.
Karen Park, Horsham Eco Churches
