Fair Trade Experience 2008
This year's Fair Trade Experience was NUTS!!
The expanded event was another great success with a fantastic line up of speakers from across the globe, live music, even more fair trade stalls, more kids activities and lots of Innovation, Information and Inspiration.
As always, our fabulous MC for the weekend was the wonderful Liz Armstrong from the Co-operative Scotland, who also sponsored the event for the sixth year.
Our speakers included:
- Dyborn Chibonga (Malawi) from NASFAM National Smallholders Farmers Association Malawi
- Kenyan Fairtrade tea producer and environmental consultant Julius Ethang'atha
- Jose Da Silva Pereira and Alex Chamas representing Brazil nut farmers from Brazil and Bolivia
- Chilean Walnut producers working towards Fairtrade accreditation
We were honoured to welcome other speakers:
- Linda Fabiani, Minister for Tourism & Culture
- Brad Hill Fairtrade strategy manager at the Co-operative
- Chris Gent from IFAT
- Iain Macdonald Director General of International Co-operative Alliance based In Geneva
- Betsy Reed from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum
Music
Moyenda, the Malawi/Scottish fusion band filled the event with beautiful harmonies while Rise Kagona from Bhundu Boys and Doug Veitch had everyone up dancing with their African-inspired sound.
Music also came from Whitelees Primary School Rock Band who sang several Fairtrade Inspired songs and St Elizabeth’s Primary from Hamilton also took to the stage for their Fairtrade banana song.
Chief Suleman Chebe from Ghana and Terry from the Gambia provided a relaxed background with their gentle drumming
Kids activities
One of the many highlights of the weekend was the live satellite link to a school in Ghana. This was an amazing experience for young and old alike. Listening to the chat between kids asking questions at event and finding out many commonalities such as a love of football and shared school experiences with the children in Ghana. The school in Ghana has been supported through Fairtrade premiums paid by Divine chocolate. Thanks to Tom at Trading Visions for making this link happen.
Thanks also to the Scottish Woodcraft Folk and RSPB for giving a weekend of brilliant kids activities that included chocolate fountain fruit dipping, cycle smoothie making, rain forest activities and so much more….
Shopping
This year's event had more stalls than ever before and such variety of fair trade products from all corners of the globe; fashion, sports wear, jewelry, handbags & beautiful products from the One World Shop, Palcrafts, Rainbow Turtle and Tearcraft and so many other Fair Trade businesses and organisations such as OXFAM, SCIAF and Christian Aid and Triodos Bank. Food and drinks were plentiful from the Co-operative, Greencity Wholefoods, Liberation & Tropical Wholefoods... a truly fabby range of Fairtrade food and drinks!
AND FINALLY:
A big thanks to our sponsors who made the event possible.
And thanks to: Divine and Equal Exchange for their generous contribution of chocolate Easter eggs... They went down very well.
Until next year!
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