St Mary’s supports Fairtrade Fortnight 2014

St Mary’s University, Twickenham will be holding a variety of events and promotions in support of Fairtrade Fortnight from Monday 24^th February to Sunday 9^th March 2014. After being awarded Fairtrade status in 2011, St Mary’s had its accreditation renewed in 2013, demonstrating its continued commitment to using and selling Fairtrade goods on its Strawberry Hill campus. This year’s theme for Fairtrade Fortnight is ‘Stick with Foncho’, a campaign aiming to end the supermarket price war on bananas that decreases farmers’ share of profits and sends them into poverty. The two weeks will begin with a call to sign a petition, led by the campaign, against the unfair sale of cheap bananas. Throughout the fortnight St Mary’s will be offering promotions on Fairtrade drinks and snacks. There will also be a Fairtrade quiz in the SU Bar on Tuesday 4^th March and talks with a Columbian farmer and a local business on their experiences of Fairtrade in Dol.cHe Vita on Thursday 6^th March. Fairtrade Fortnight started in 1997 and aims to raise awareness and promote decent working conditions, fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers, and local sustainability in the developing world.