Yesterday Paul and I attended Carlisle's first Fairtrade Business Conference. Very interesting, and impressive. I don't know about other people but I knew a little about Fairtrade and liked the idea but thought some of their products a little expensive and not always of good quality.
Not any more, they are really developing their ranges, and also becoming large enough to have a real stake. We learned just how rigorous the process is to become accredited. But more importantly the impact this is having on communities.
One of the things we liked was that it links in perfectly with our belief that our small local businesses should be supported.
We have always loved and used our local meats - we even catered for our pig farmers wedding!! That will carry on, but we intend to source the best of the Fairtrade brands for anything we cant buy locally. The beauty is that we can keep up the standard that we are proud of whilst feeling a little more ethical ... Read more