Central England Co-op urge customers to ‘do good at home and overseas’ this Fairtrade Fortnight

Posted by james brindle | Published: 17/02/2021

Central England Co-op is urging customers to ‘do good at home and overseas’ this Fairtrade Fortnight by supporting farmers abroad while helping those in their own communities struggling during these uncertain times.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 takes place between February 22 and March 7 and aims to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and those who are often exploited and badly paid.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘Choose the world you want’ and aims to highlight the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with, such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Honduras.

Despite being the people who have done the least to contribute to climate change, they are often disproportionately affected by it.

With the Co-op having supported the development of Fairtrade since it launched over 25 years ago, Central England Co-op will again be celebrating the two-week event by urging customers and members to try some of the fantastic Fairtrade products available in its food stores – from chocolate produced in Sierra Leone to bananas grown in Panama – all of which ensure their producers receive a fair deal so they can earn a living income.

However, as communities at home continue to see the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the retailer is also appealing to people to help those in need on their own doorstep by dropping an extra item or two into its special food bank donation points.

Central England Co-op Store Manager Brad Tuckfield said: “As a co-operative retailer which has supported the Fairtrade movement for over 25 years, Fairtrade Fortnight gives us a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of Fairtrade to producers across the world.

“Our food stores stock some wonderful Fairtrade products, from delicious chocolate and a wide range of coffees, to quality wines and even fairly traded rubber gloves, which directly support people in some of the poorest parts of the world to earn a fair wage.

“However, we also take our role as a retailer at the heart of our communities very seriously which is why we also want to use this opportunity to encourage our generous customers and members, if they can, to also pick up an extra item or two with their Fairtrade products to support our food bank collections, helping those in need both at home and overseas in these uncertain times.”

Items that can be donated via store food bank collection points include shopping basket staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products to ensure people can maintain their dignity during times of crisis.

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,550 colleagues serve customers across over 400 trading sites in 16 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. 

The Society’s purpose is to inspire communities to help create a ‘sustainable Society for all’, a strong and successful business that is invested in protecting the environment and the wellbeing of its colleagues, members, and customers.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop