TV FOOD personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall helped launch Fairtrade Fortnight, at a London breakfast hosted by the foundation's patron George Alagiah.

Fairtrade fortnight runs from March 3-16 and the theme this year is "Trust your Taste" – intended to show consumers that Fairtrade products are not only good for Third World producers, but good for the tastebuds too.

"This fortnight is part celebration and part business," said Alagiah to the invited breakfast guests. "There is an enormous amount that we've achieved in the past year and we're here to celebrate that. But we're not anywhere near where we want to be in our goal to making the world a fairer place.

"However, last year British shoppers spent over £60 million on Fairtrade products – nearly double the amount of a couple of years ago. And that's very encouraging." Fearnley-Whittingstall is a keen supporter of local sourcing and the Fairtrade system and spoke at the event about the importance of knowing the history of your food – something that he said Fairtrade allows for which the main supermarkets may not do so well.

He explained: "What those of us who campaign for local food production have in common with Fairtrade is a passion for shared values. Such as the sense of ripeness in the politics of the way food is produced.

"One of the reasons I shop at farmers' markets is so I can meet the producers face to face and find out how the food was produced. Putting a face to a product is something Fairtrade has done which no other organisation has. If I asked a leading supermarket to tell me where an item came from and who produced it, I don't suppose they'd be able to help me. But Fairtrade reminds us that food production is a community product.

"None of this is plausible without quality and I'm here because I believe passionately that Fairtrade has some superb products, which aren't yet reaching enough people." Representing Fairtrade banana growers was Denise Sutherland, who is touring the UK during Fairtrade fortnight to promote the organisation. Sutherland is a member of the Langley Park Fairtrade Group on the Windward Island of St Vincent – a co-operative that sells bananas to the Fairtrade market.

"Without Fairtrade I wouldn't be able to continue farming," she told guests. "The situation in the Winward Islands is unique because no other Fairtrade organisation has as many registered members living on so many different islands.

"A Fairtrade banana is one your can eat without fear. I urge you to trust your taste and support Fairtrade." Also speaking on behalf of growers was Blanca Rosa Molina – president of the board of Cecocafen, a Nicaraguan coffee co-operative.

"We have worked with Fairtrade since 1994 and this has meant our children have been able to go to school and have access to health services – not like other farmers who do not work in the Fairtrade system," Molina stressed. "They have had to abandon their farms and take their children out of school.

"There is a great deal of malnutrition among women and older people, so Fairtrade has meant a lot to those of us who work in rural production. We've been able to build strong organisations and have more farmers joining us everyday so they too can access Fairtrade systems." She thanked the UK public for their support of Fairtrade and said: "We know Fairtrade is because of you buying the products, to help us survive and watch our children grow up. Thousands of farmers have had to leave their land and are destitute because they can't get a decent price for their coffee. This is where you come in, because Fairtrade means for us that people don't have to leave their farm and face destitution." Last year the Fairtrade Foundation launched its international logo to help consumers recognise one single marque worldwide. The foundation's executive director, Harriet Lamb, confirmed this has been a resounding success.

She said: "Behind the Fairtrade mark lies a set of standards to address this end. We still have much work to do to develop our systems. But democracy by individual farms and in governance of flow is the single most solid base for development.

"The new mark is spreading fast and was launched in Germany just last week. This year we expect Australia, Mexico and Spain to take Fairtrade lines with the new international mark. Supporters say they feel energised by the new mark, which draws attention to the elements of Fairtrade." Fairtrade fortnight will see a host of celebrity chefs joining in the awareness raising with Fearnley-Whittingstall. Clarissa Dickson Wright, Michael Barry, Antony Worral Thompson and Ainsley Harriott are among those also supporting the fortnight – which will include more than 4,000 events nationwide. Highlights include a Fairtrade pancake race with the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Michael Barry and a Fairtrade breakfast hosted by Ken Livingstone.

Sales of Fairtrade foods have more than doubled over the past three years and Fairtrade brands account for 14 per cent of the total UK roast and ground coffee market. UK consumers drink 1.7 million cups of Fairtrade tea, coffee and cocoa each day and eat 1.5m Fairtrade bananas a week.

These bananas have been flying off the shelves of Tesco in the two weeks since their launch. The introduction of the pre-packed bananas, sourced from Dominica in the Windward Islands, demonstrates Tesco's commitment to supporting Fairtrade products.

The store's banana buyer David Williams, said: "In an increasingly competitive global market, Tesco is aware of the potential impact on the Windward Islands. We are committed to supporting the Windward Islands and our introduction of the Fairtrade banana pack reflects this sentiment." Tesco is already the largest UK importer of Windward Island bananas. It anticipates that the Fairtrade banana pack will continue to account for a growing percentage of Tesco's total banana sales. The store believes that the customers most likely to buy Fairtrade bananas are existing organic customers and those interested in "green cuisine".

Tesco's business planning manager for fresh produce, Hamish Renton, added: "We are delighted to support Fairtrade fortnight and the best way for us to do this is to really drive banana sales".

Lamb concluded: "With Fairtrade, consumers can trust that producers are getting a better deal. But it is the quality that keeps consumers coming back. And that is the drive behind Fairtrade fortnight."

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