City events mark Fairtrade Fortnight

Belfast is marking Fairtrade Fortnight (23 February – 8 March) with a variety of events across the city.

The highlight will be the third annual Fairtrade Belfast Awards, which will be presented at a special ceremony at Stormont on Tuesday 3 March.

Awards will be presented in a number of categories - best independent retailer, best supermarket, best café, best employer, best bar or restaurant, and `outstanding contribution to Fairtrade` – with voting having been undertaken via the Fairtrade Belfast website.

Guest of honour at the Awards will be Wilbert Valverde of the Cooperative Agricola Industrial y de Servicios Multiples El General (COOPEAGRI), a cooperative of coffee and sugar cane producers in Costa Rica.

Rachel Surgenor, Chairman of Fairtrade Belfast, said that this year`s Fairtrade Fortnight would be a celebration of a very successful period in the history of the Fairtrade movement in the city.

“Last month, we had our Fairtrade City status renewed for a further two years, while St. Mary`s University College also was accredited as a Fairtrade University,” she said.

“Achievements such as these show that Fairtrade is increasingly becoming an integral element of the fabric of our society. With the availability of Fairtrade products increasing all the time, it is now much easier than ever before for consumers to support Fairtrade as part of their everyday lives,” added Rachel.

A wide variety of other events are being held across the city, and beyond, to mark Fairtrade Fortnight, including:

• Tuesday 24 February (all day) – `Fairtrade Shrove Tuesday` at Spires Restaurant, Spires Mall.

• Wednesday 25 February (7pm) - a Fairtrade Awareness Evening, hosted by Fairtrade inspires, in Townsend Presbyterian Church Memorial Hall, Townsend Street, which will include an address by Cornelius Lynch, a banana grower from St Lucia, as well as music and refreshments.

• Thursday 26 February (9am) – `Make It Happen – Choose Fairtrade` Assembly at Andrews Memorial Primary School, Comber, with Cornelius Lynch as guest speaker.

• Thursday 26 February (12 noon) – `Make It Happen – Choose Fairtrade` at Queen`s University Students` Union, including an address by Cornelius Lynch.

• Friday 27 February (10am) – `Make It Happen – Choose Fairtrade` Assembly at Dundonald Primary School, including an address by Cornelius Lynch. There also will be a Fairtrade Awareness Evening at Dundonald Youth Club, starting at 7pm.

• Saturday 28 February (9am – 3pm) – Chocolate making demonstration, hosted by Oxfam Ireland and featuring chocolatier David Greenwood-Haigh, from the Divine Chocolate Company, who will be demonstrating some of his chocolate tempering skills, and creating lots of chocolate goodies to sample. Oxfam Ireland`s Fair Trade Shop, at 16 Rosemary Street, Belfast will be holding special tastings and promotions throughout the fortnight.

• Monday 2 March (all day) – coffee tasting at Fairtrade inspires, Spires Mall.

• Tuesday 3 March to Thursday 5 March – `Make It Happen – Choose Fairtrade` Fair, hosted by Fairtrade inspires, at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown.

• Friday 6 March (all day) – specialty tea tasting at Fairtrade inspires.

A number of local cafés, restaurants, shops and supermarkets also will be holding special promotions throughout Fairtrade Fortnight.

For further information on all Fairtrade Fortnight events being staged in Belfast, as well as more information on Fairtrade, Fairtrade Belfast and links to a host of related sites, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/fairtrade