Coffee gurus fly in to spread fair trade word
Festival aims to highlight how exploitation can be ended
craig.craig.ritchie@ritchie@trinitymirror.trinitymirror.comcom Advertising Advertising lynsey.gair@trinitymirror.com 07393lynsey.gair@762401trinitymirror.com 07393 762401 kirsteen.brown@trinitymirror.com 0141kirsteen.309brown@4312trinitymirror.com 0141 309 4312 Coffee producers have jetted in straight from Malawi to help celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight.
Bernard Kaunda and Christopher Gondwe have swapped the sun for the snow to teach families about their crop.
They run Mzuzu Coffee in the African country and shared their stories of how they started and why sustainable and ethical farming is important.
Bernard and Christopher met with local youngsters yesterday before hosting a talk at Rainbow Turtle in Paisley last night.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson says the men know first hand how the ethical buying changes lives.
He said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our schoolchildren and local community to meet producers with first-hand experience of the difference fair trade can make.
“The real value of fair trade can often be missed by those undertaking their weekly shop, but purchasing fair trade goods really does affect the lives of producers across the world.
“Bernard and Christopher know first hand why it is so important that we continue to support fair trade and the benefits it brings.
“I’d like to thank them for visiting Renfrewshire during this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight.”
The experts met school pupils during a day dedicated to their production of fair trade goods in their country.
They were also key speakers at a special open event at Paisley’s Methodist Church Hall.
Rainbow Turtle organised the evening and invited shoppers to learn how their spending can help farmers. Fairtrade Fortnight runs until Sunday. It promotes simple changes to buying habits.
Products carrying the logo were bought from farmers and suppliers guaranteed a decent price for their goods.
The festival’s theme is Come On In and encourages locals to stand with producers and close the door on exploitation.
For more information on fair trade, visit www. fairtrade. org. uk or www. renfrewshire.gov.uk/fairtrade