Fairtrade Fortnight UK: 22 February – 7 March, 2010

Fairtrade believes that developing world producers should be in control of their own lives, by getting a better deal for the work that they do. This is a different way of doing business. It’s a way that puts the poorest of the world first. Look around their map and find out how Fairtrade is changing the lives of farming communities worldwide. And learn a bit about the stuff that you’re swapping too.

For this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight fairtrade.org.uk are asking the nation to join them in The Big Swap. For two whole weeks they will be asking you to swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff.

• Your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas,
• your usual cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks,
• your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa.

Whenever you pop to the shops, you can use your wallet to make a stand.

Check out of all things swap, at the Fairtrade fortnight hub for all your swapping needs. It tells you how to get involved, what you can swap and most importantly, how to register them.

Swapping your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff is a brilliantly small step to making the world a fairer place. It means that you get to show your support for developing world producers through what you buy. Two billion people – a third of humanity – survive on less than $2 a day. Unfair trade rules keep them in poverty, but they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too.

Because we need lots of swaps made. One million and one in fact. Every swap will be proof that the people of the UK want producers in the developing world to get a fairer deal.