Fairtrade coffee farmer Luz Marina Garcia Ruiz joined Radio 1 DJ Alice Levine and TV presenter Laura Jackson, together the Jackson&Levine Supperclub, to launch Fairtrade Fortnight 2016, calling upon the British public to sit down for breakfast and stand up for farmers.
Hosting a supperclub earlier than usual, Alice and Laura and Luz Marina decked their sky-high breakfast table with Fairtrade produce and cups of steam Fairtrade coffee to shine a light on the struggles faced by millions of farmers and workers in developing countries who produce the food we eat, but struggle to feed themselves.
The two-week campaign (29 February – 13 March 2016) will encourage consumers to share a Fairtrade breakfast with family or friends and ‘wake up’ to the challenges faced by farmers and workers.
Jackson&Levine recently travelled to Ethiopia, the birth place of coffee, to see firsthand the impact Fairtrade has on communities, women and small-holder farmers.
Now back in the UK, the duo hope to spread the word about the importance of buying Fairtrade and supporting farmers in the developing world.
Alice Levine said, “Visiting Ethiopia has opened our eyes to how much work goes into bringing us our morning coffee. Visiting the cooperatives shone a light on how fragile a coffee farmer’s livelihood can be. With just one harvest every year, famine and climate change put real pressure on food security. So while these farmers provide many of the products we enjoy for breakfast in the UK each day, the majority are struggling to provide food for their own families.”
Laura Jackson said, “There’s a Martin Luther King quote that I think everyone should consider, ‘Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world.’ Our trip to Ethiopia has made this ring true for me. Knowing that the people that produce my breakfast may be struggling to feed their own families, has highlighted the importance of buying Fairtrade to ensure farmers in the developing world receive a fair price. We hope the British public get behind the campaign, enjoy a Fairtrade breakfast and take a moment to think about the people, farmers and families behind their breakfast.”
Luz Marina said, “For me, Fairtrade is an opportunity to make dreams come true and improve living conditions for all the people involved in the production of coffee. Thanks to Fairtrade I was able to study and work for the wellbeing of my family and the small producers from my region.”
Despite working hard every day to grow the food many of us enjoy for breakfast in the UK – coffee, tea, bananas and cocoa – many workers don’t know where their next meal is coming from. By buying Fairtrade products, you ensure farmers and workers can earn a fair price, invest in their communities and businesses and are empowered to build a better future. Every Fairtrade breakfast shared across the Fortnight will help put food on farmers’ and workers’ tables.
Pledge your support by sharing your Fairtrade breakfast at #YouEatTheyEat.
For further information and other ideas on how to get involved, click here