The Fairtrade Guernsey Blog

The Fairtrade Foundation congratulates Ben & Jerry’s on the announcement (Feb 2010) that they will be going 100% Fairtrade in the UK and throughout Europe by the end of 2011 and globally by end 2013 – which means that every ingredient they use, from sugar to nuts to cocoa, that can be Fairtrade certified, will be. Ben & Jerry’s launched the world’s first ever Fairtrade vanilla ice-cream in the UK in 2006, and this move today will be the biggest conversion into Fairtrade products the ice cream world has seen.

The theme of Fairtrade Fortnight (22 February – 7 March) is The Big Swap as people in the UK and Ireland are being rallied to swap everyday shopping basket items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, cotton tee-shirts, pineapples, bananas, cakes, sugar and a host of other products for Fairtrade ones during Fairtrade Fortnight. With companies like Ben & Jerry’s rallying behind the Big Swap theme, consumers will find it easier to make The Big Swap and help reach the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign target of one million and one swaps. During Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation will tot up product swaps on a special online swap-o-meter at www.bigswap.org.uk

‘A round of applause to Ben & Jerry’s on the scale and vision of their Big Swap. Tackling poverty through trade may not be easy but it is always worth it, and Ben & Jerry’s has demonstrated real leadership in laying out this long-term ambition to engage with smallholders, from sugar growers to nut growers to vanilla growers to cocoa growers,’ says Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. ‘The public will lap up these Fairtrade ice-creams and producers will start to see real benefits rolling back to them, helping tip the balance of trade more in their favour. Ben & Jerry’s, like all of us in the Fairtrade movement, believe that people can have fun standing up to injustice – campaigning against poverty whilst enjoying some of Ben & Jerry’s best-selling favourites,’ Harriet continues.

Existing Fairtrade flavours Chocolate Macadamia, Chunky Monkey, Vanilla and Vanilla Toffee Crunch will be joined by the company’s top selling flavours Baked Alaska, Caramel Chew Chew, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and Phish Food, together with new flavours Fairly Nuts and Phish Food Frozen Yogurt. By the end of March 2010 60% of Ben & Jerry’s flavours in Europe will be Fairtrade with the total balance converted by the end of 2011.

Hazir Shah, elected as representative of the Ghazer Fairtrade Farmers in Pakistan who produce the almonds for Ben & Jerry’s says: ‘Fairtrade has brought tremendous benefits to the communities not only for Fairtrade farmers but to others by increasing the prices for walnuts, almonds and other fruits to properly profitable levels for farmers. Also under the Fairtrade agreement, we are paid on time and in cash whereas normal traders often make no cash payments but insist on barter arrangements leaving us with no money for school fees and health care. With Fairtrade, farmers are now more conscious about quality and we have found new unity and honesty through Fairtrade.’

Jerry Greenfield comments: ‘Fairtrade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie. The whole concept of Fairtrade goes to the heart of our values and sense of right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else.’