Fair Trade Woman 2008: Blog

Hi guys, as you can see I've been playing catch up today in order to update the blog for you. I've got some nice comments from you so far and I'm dying to hear more from you. So get writing.

Since Tuesday, when I did so much complaining about not being able to find something substantial to eat, a couple of things happended on Wednesday to really boost me. Firstly, in the morning I went out with a volunteer to make a video of Fairtrade Woman taking to the streets superhero style. And we had a blast. Keep an eye out for that on Monday or Tuesday to see what we got up to.

The second thing that happened was that, when I came back to the office, there was a pile of shopping on my desk with a note from my 'friendly neighbourhood Fairtrade Team' with basmati rice, jam, honey, bananas and yes, red and white Fairtrade vino. It was exactly what I needed to get me out of the sugar and caffeine slump. These were the basics I had been looking for and couldn't find and it all came from Marks and Spencers.

Then Bec, who works with me here in Campaigns, picked up some Brazil nut oil from the Oxfam shop of South King Street, as well as pasta, cashew nuts and beautiful jasmine rice. So for the last few nights, rather than living off snacks, I've been eating rice with fried banana coated in honey and toasted cashew nuts, or pasta with Brazil nut oil. Brilliant - dinner is served. I could do with some Fairtrade veg - some tomato sauce would be excellent - but until we start asking, we won't get.

So get posting folks!

Hi folks,



So for all my promises of good recipes and directions to your nearest Fairtrade supermarket, my shopping mission was nigh on disastrous. Or at least that's how it felt at 9.30pm on my second night in. I was knackered, I'd been shopping since I left work, and my moods had been in a whirlwind from eating chocolate, geobars, fruitcake and dried fruits all day. Sugar rush, sugar crash, coffee rush, coffee crash. But all for a good cause, eh?

What I thought about this morning was the issue of my personal dichotomy - I am, I reckon, relatively speaking, a pretty ethical consumer: I buy Fairtrade tea, coffee and chocolate when I see it, I don't buy certain sports brands, fast foods or fizzy drinks because of their corporate irresponsibility, and I re-use m plastic bags religiously. Yet, I am a creature of habit: I get into work every morning, check my emails, trot downstairs and make myself a bowl of half milk-half water porridge with honey. I choose between a list of possibly 8 ingredients to make a wrap for my lunch and I get the bus to work and walk home. Every day from Monday to Friday. And this, folks, is the crux. If my supermarket doesn't stock what I need, will I move elsewhere? If it only has FT teas and coffees, will I shop somewhere else especially for my FT rice and pasta?

And then I thought of what I can do - I can shop in Lidl, Superquinn, M&S and Dunnes, who all have made at least some commitment to fairer trading practices and I can ask them over and over and over again, to stock more Fairtrade products - vegetables, flowers, fruit... All those raw materials that are exported should be done without leaving behind hunger, disease and struggle.

If you want a 'Stock It' card to hand in to your manager, you can contact me or you can contact Fairtrade Ireland and they will send some out. It's a start - and it's all about the first step.

Hi folks,

I'm afraid we've been having some trouble getting our videos up on the net so I've decided to we've fallen a little behind. On Day 2 I recorded a little piece for you to give you an update on how I was doing:



At that point, I was incredibly cranky.

You know they say not to go food shopping when you're hungry? Well, to me that was always a reference to all the crazy stuff I end up buying just because everything looks so tasty. I'm pretty sure taht's what 'they' were referring to. That saying has taken on a whole new meaning since Monday. Because some supermarkets are great at stocking particular FT foods, like maybe bananas and chocolate, but no coffee. Or tea and juice, but no bananas, I ended up spending teh first couple of shops just throwing those things back on to the shelf thinking I'd find a better range of choice somewhere else. And the hungrier I got, the crankier I got, the less bananas seemed like a good buy, and the more I longed for something substantial and tasty and most importantly, savoury.

So this video shows where I was at that point. Enjoy!

Hi folks,

So another day of checking out what's on offer and I have it all laid out in the video here. I guess the point I want to make is that there is lots out there for you to choose from, but because I'm living on Fairtrade-certified products only, things like FT jam, marmalade or chocolate spread, of which there is plenty in the shops, are lost to me because the very thing they're spreadable on - bread - is produced right here so does not need the Fairtrade mark, which rules conserves out.

But for you folk, who don't have such strict rules to live by during these weeks, they're easily available in Lidl, M&S, Tescos and Oxfam Fairtrade shops, so get buying! They're just as tasty and pretty much the same price as those stocked on the shelves above and below them.

The lesson to be learned here is that Fairtrade products are everywhere now and they're not for someone else to buy, they're for you. And the more you buy and the more you ask for them, the bigger the demand and the lower the prices will fall. This fortnight is about consumer choice and voting with your wallet - so get out there and prove that if money equals power, then you have the power!

Thanks Darina, that's exactly what I did! My Grandad used to eat it the same way, so I'd tried it as a kid.

Generally dairy is produced here so I won't have much of it over the coming weeks - which means no yoghurt and NO CHEESE! Boo!

Looking forward to checking out the shops tonight to see what's out there and will get back to you.

Keep messaging!
Eilís

I attended the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight this morning where 4 producers from Tanzania, Belize, Kenya and Uganda spoke about the affects of Fairtrade on their communitites. And when you hear a man speak of how, in Tanzania, young girls working on non-Fairtrade flower plantations are often subjected to abuse while those working on Fairtrade plantations work under strict protective condidtions, it makes you think about the occassions when you buy flowers - about the sentiment that goes into that act - and the terrible experiences that may be behind the production of those flowers.

Another speaker from Kenya spoke of how women in her village had been empowered through the social premium attached to every Fairtrade product's price. How that money is put towards sending their daughters to school or providing low interest loans that allow women to set up their own business.

And I have to say, to all of you who make the choice to make someone else's life better, good on you!

And rock on, Fairtrade!

Okay, so I'm off to a terrible start. I didn't do my shopping as planned yesterday so I popped into the Oxfam Fairtrade shop on South King Street on the way in to work to pick up some nibblies. This is my bounty. I was delighted to find juice and Muesli as they would be my breakfast staples anyway, so not much sacrifice there. Although, I have no milk as of yet, so that will be one of my missions for tonight's shop.

Hi folks,

Okay, so that title is comppetely overused, but in this case it really does apply. Went to the launch of Dublin as a Fairtrade City last night. It was nice, if a little bit... official for me. The speeches were heartfelt, though, and it really made me proud of what this wee island of ours is acheiving. Dublin Co Co had to get 120 businesses to stock Fairtrade products before they could be crowned... loads of hard work.

What really did it for me last night was the amount of Fairtrade food on display. I haven't started my challenge yet - I'll start on Monday, but I'm already aware of the lack of fruit and veg available for me. But last night I spotted lychees, pineapples, mangos, avacados, booze (wine's made from grapes!) so reckon I'm going to be more sorted than I thought.

Watch this space...

Hi there, my name is Eilis and I'm gonna be the first Irish Fairtrade Woman. Have a look at the video for a quick goo at what I'll be up to during Fairtrade Fortnight (February 25-March 7).



And come back, cause there'll be plenty more to see and read and I need YOUR comments, tips and questions to keep me going.

Later!