News from Traidcraft

When someone talks about Fair Trade, or Traidcraft, what first comes to your mind? So often we only think of tea, coffee and chocolate – or perhaps bananas as well. But there is so very much more to it than that – and the quality of the produce gets better all the time.

In a press release on August 24th, Traidcraft said the following: “The new Fair Trade Pineapple Fruit Pot is the first product where fair trade pineapple comes ‘ready-to-eat’. It contains pineapple chunks in pear juice, which are sourced from Swaziland and the pots are processed and packed by Swazican. Each pot contains only 60 calories and the contents are completely natural – there are no artificial colourings or flavourings.

The launch of the Fairtrade Fruit Pots comes after Traidcraft introduced the UK’s first Fairtrade wholewheat digestive in March This year. In the past six months, it has also launched a range of Fairtrade nuts, as well as two
new Fairtrade chocolate bars – Choc’n Toffee and Crisp’n Chewy. This means that Traidcraft now offers more than 170 Fairtrade food and drink products, from tea and coffee to pasta and rice.” Jenny File, Traidcraft’s Product Marketing Manager, says: “We’re always striving to innovate and develop new fair trade products. Since the company was started more than 30 years ago, we have developed what is now one of the widest ranges of fair trade food and drink products in the UK, but we have never rested on our laurels. We’re always looking to go that extra step and create new products that enable us to work with as many marginalised producers in developing countries as possible.”

Why not see for yourself some of this diversity, by visiting the Traidcraft stall after morning service, or the Wellspring stall at Main Street Community Church on Thursdays, or by browsing the catalogue? We also have Christmas cards in stock or to order, and Divine chocolate Advent Calendars at the special price of £3.50 (normal price £3.95).

As a Fair Trade Church, we have pledged to support fair trade as widely as possible – so that by spending just a few pence extra on a product we need to buy anyway, we can help make an enormous improvement to the lives and communities of poor people in developing countries. What easier way could there be to make a difference?

Elizabeth Holmes

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