The ‘Choose the World You Want’ digital festival is currently running and you are encouraged to join in.

We are all being asked to make choices that will make the world a better place: better for us here in North Ayrshire and Arran and better for people who grow food for us, and make other things we buy.   

Just have a look at https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/choose-the-world-you-want-festival/ and you’ll see how Fairtrade producers in developing countries are struggling with the Climate Crisis and Covid-19 not to mention the turmoil in trade relations generally. 

Jan Macgregor, of Arran, who is Chair of the North Ayrshire Fairtrade Zone Group said: "In 2014 I visited the Volta River Estates banana plantation in Ghana and saw how their community benefitted from Fairtrade, but when attending a recent online meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Fairtrade I discovered that because of new trade regulations resulting from Brexit, they could end up being very badly disadvantaged. 

"Choosing even one Fairtrade product in our shopping every week makes a difference and telling others why we do it helps to spread the word.  

""And that’s not the only thing because fair trade goods are produced by sustainable farming methods so they are also good for the planet.

"If you can’t see any Fairtrade coffee, tea, chocolate - or bananas in your shop or supermarket, try asking somebody where they are - that helps spread the word as well!"

"And maybe this time next year we’ll be able to have a big coffee morning to celebrate."