7 inspirational ideas to put Fair Trade at the heart of your organisation

PLEASE NOTE: The South West Fair Trade Business Awards and application period have been postponed. Please see our website for details.

Applications for the South West Fair Trade Business Awards 2020 are now open to organisations throughout the region. Free to enter, the awards are a great way to meet like-minded people and organisations with a commitment to supporting Fair Trade in new and inventive ways. Want to enter but unsure how to integrate Fair Trade into the workplace? Here are 7 fantastic ways some local organisations have put Fair Trade at the heart of what they do, engaging staff and the local community!

WHO? Create Centre

WHAT? Create visual impact around your organisation

HOW? Simple things like decorations can have a huge visual impact and can spark discussion among anyone who visits. Staff at Create Centre suggest trying giant inflatable Fair Trade products like bananas, posters and a Fair Trade page on TV screens (if available around your organisation). Winning awards at the South West Fair Trade Business Awards is a great way to display your commitment to Fair Trade for people to see!

WHO? Create Centre

WHAT? Host activities to get staff thinking about Fair Trade

HOW? A great way to engage all employees is through Fair Trade product tasters, quizzes or even Easter egg hunts. Try searching online for local Fair Trade activities, or look on the Fairtrade Foundation website to see what others have done before you and get inspired!

WHO? University of Bath and The Natural Beverage Company

WHAT? Make sure all food and drink is Fair Trade where possible

HOW? Stock as wide a range as possible of Fair Trade food, drinks, clothing and beauty products in your stores, or in the office make sure products bought for the team are Fair Trade, including all tea, coffee and snacks. If, like Natural Beverage co., you manufacture your own products, source any ingredient you can from Fair Trade supply chains.

University of Bath also suggest building Fair Trade into your organisation’s culture by embedding it into your working objectives and involving stakeholders from all across your organisation, especially those that have a passion for it.

WHO? University of Bristol

WHAT? Engaging staff and the local community

HOW? Pop-up stalls are a great way to engage people and the University of Bristol hosted theirs in the center of campus, reaching 150 people. Why not try appealing to businesses for Fair Trade samples? Our awards entrants were supported by companies such as Percol Coffee, Divine Chocolate, Just Trading Scotland, Tropical Wholefoods, Liberation Nuts and Fruit Beauties. These delicious samples can be used to create hampers, which at the University, two lucky winners won at the end of the Fairtrade fortnight.

WHO? Lyons Davidson Solicitors

WHAT? Create articles to educate staff

HOW? Sharing Fair Trade articles with your staff, or even writing your own blogs and updates, can be a great way of engaging people. As well as the benefits of sourcing Fair Trade products, articles or blogs might look at Fair Trade and the environment, international trade, examining individual attitudes and behaviors, or even ethics in the workplace. Staff at Lyons Davidson are encouraged to visit their internal intranet every day to view updates and news articles, which will include Fair Trade announcements - a great way to ensure no one misses the Fair Trade message!

WHO? Cotton Smiles

WHAT? Promote Fair Trade in the wider community

HOW? Why not team up with other local businesses who also support Fair Trade to get the message of Fair Trade out to the community? Cotton Smiles created a #Kind tea towel campaign. This entailed giving away a number of excess Fairtrade cotton tea towels in exchange for social media followers sharing a kind act, such as helping a neighbour. Their community campaigning always sign posts to Fair Trade websites, giving people an opportunity to learn more.

WHO? Minute Man Press

WHAT? Get out to Fair Trade events

HOW? Minute Man sends staff to Fair Trade events and gatherings and rotates who goes to each one so that everyone can be educated. It is important for Fair Trade to be felt throughout the organisation and at Minute Man everyone has the opportunity to get involved and learn more. This means that they can advocate for Fair Trade and spark discussion with clients, and are able to answer questions. It is also great for staff to have the knowledge to integrate Fair Trade into their own lives at home, as well as in the workplace.

Since 2012, we have hosted the annual South West Fair Trade Business Awards, which attracts organisations from across the region – from retailers to universities, coffee shops and solicitors. The Awards encourage support of Fair Trade in the workplace and promote ethical businesses with Fair Trade in their supply chains and communications.