Download a printable Fair Trade Break Action Guide & Checklist

World Fair Trade Day 2009

On & around May 9th, people across the globe will be coming together to celebrate Fair Trade.  In the U.S. we are setting the world record for the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break, and we need your help to do it!  This guide is useful for any Fair Trade Break you are planning — from coffee to cooking, and handcrafts to soccer.

What is a “Fair Trade Break”?

A Fair Trade Break is simply an opportunity for a community, a workplace, a class, or a group of friends to take time out to consume, showcase, and discuss the benefits of Fair Trade. The focus is on increasing awareness and educating others about the importance of Fair Trade and the producers who make and grow the products that we consume.

The checklist ::: to stand up & be counted, be sure that….

1. Your Fair Trade Break falls between May 1-16^th, 2009.
2. You provide information on Fair Trade (we can help!)
3. Participants are offered a Fair Trade food or beverage during their break.
4. Register your event(s) with us.  We’ll send you free, catchy materials and Fair Trade products to use at your event.
5. Be counted! Report the number of break participants to wftday@ftrn.org by May 16^th.

To learn about existing Fair Trade Breaks around the country, or post your own, visit our Events Calendar.

To obtain free print & electronic materials for your Fair Trade Break, including the ones pictured below, visit our WFTD Toolkit.

If you’d like some support & advice in planning your event this year, send FTRN an email.

Ideas for Your Fair Trade Break:

Fair Trade Coffee Break

Enjoy a brewed cup of Fair Trade Coffee with friends or acquaintances during your part of the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break.

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Coffee Break:

• Fair Trade Coffee
• Coffee Maker
• Milk and creamers
• Fair Trade sugar or sweeteners
• Stirrers and spoons
• Mugs- to be environmentally friendly provide reusable mugs or encourage people to BYO mugs from home

A fun twist

• Take part in the World’s Largest FT Coffee Break on or around Saturday May 9th. Help us reclaim the world record!
• Make some home baked Fair Trade goodies to accompany your cup of coffee. Check out some of our Fair Trade recipes for more ideas

Fair Trade Handcrafts or Drum Circle Break:

Don’t feel locked in to food products. There are a wide range of Fair Trade handcrafts available, including drums, music bells, gifts, textiles, and toys.

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Artisan or Drum Circle Break:

• Artisan products & musical instruments to use
• A Drum Circle Guide
• This Drum Circle Video
• 
• Information about one or more producer groups who made the products you are showcasing

A fun twist

• A great way to showcase these products is to put on a Fair Trade house party, where people can see and try on products before they buy them.
• Host a booth or set up a table at your local farmers market to showcase and sell Artisan products.
• Organize games or a recess at school, such as a soccer game, using fairly traded sports balls, or a kite flying party with fairly traded kites. Check out Oxfam America’s Fair Trade Soccer Game Guide which is a fun and informative way to show how global trade rules put some countries at a disadvantage.

Fair Trade Dessert Break:

Serve up some delicious sweets during your Fair Trade Break. You can even use Fair Trade sugar in your favorite cake, muffin or bread recipes!

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Dessert Break

• Fair Trade Sugar
• Any ingredients for your home-baked recipes - don’t forget other ingredients that are Fair Trade Certified, such as vanilla and bananas!

A fun twist

• Turn your baked goods into pie a la mode. Use plenty of Fair Trade chocolate sauce, Fair Trade vanilla ice cream and lashings of whipped cream to create a delicious delight.

Fair Trade Soccer Break:

• With Fair Trade sportswear and Fair Trade sports balls now available in the US, there is no better time to get some exercise with these products. Encourage people to hold sports tournaments using Fair Trade sport balls and uniforms, and make some Fair Trade home baked refreshments. Check out Oxfam America’s Fair Trade Soccer Game Guide for more ideas on how to incorporate Fair Trade into sports.

Fair Trade Chocolate Break

Indulge in some guilt free Fair Trade chocolate for your Fair Trade Chocolate Break. You can simply enjoy chocolate on its own or baked into a delicious cake, muffin or biscuit.

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Chocolate Break

• Chocolate (There is a great variety of flavors available in the US. Don’t just stick to milk or dark. Try something new).
• Any additional ingredients for your home baked goods.

A fun twist

• Make some chocolate fondue using Fair Trade chocolate and dip Fair Trade bananas and home baked biscotti into it. Simply delicious!
• ·Try and incorporate as many Fair Trade ingredients into your recipes. Use Fair Trade sugar, chocolate, vanilla and bananas when possible. Check out some of our Fair Trade recipes for more ideas.

Fair Trade Flower Break:

A selection of Fair Trade Certified flowers is now available at a growing number of retailers, both online and in your neighborhood. Use your Break as an opportunity to promote the availability of this exciting new range. Your Fair Trade Flower break can simply mean putting together your own bouquet of Fair Trade flowers.

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Flower Break

• Fair Trade Flowers
• Utensils for handling the flowers- gloves, scissors etc
• Vases and water
• Eco/recycled ribbon or paper for decoration

A fun twist

• Encourage children to make their own Fair Trade Flowers bouquet for Mom this Mothers Day.
• Talk to your local places of worship, hospitals and florists about incorporating Fair Trade Flowers into their bouquets during Fair Trade Fortnight.

Access information on where to buy Fair Trade Flowers

Fair Trade Tea Break

Brew and enjoy a pot of Fair Trade Tea with friends and colleagues for your Fair Trade Break. There are a number of black and herbal teas now available in the US.

Here’s what you need for a Fair Trade Tea Break

• Tea - loose or in bags
• Tea Pot or server
• Cups- to be environmentally friendly provide reusable tea cups or encourage people to BYO cups from home
• Milk or Creamers
• Fair Trade Sugar

A fun twist

• Hold a Tea Party in your local town square. Get everyone to dress up and bring along their special china cups to have a British themed event.
• Make some delicious home baked Fair Trade goodies to accompany your Tea. Check out some of our Fair Trade recipes for more ideas

How is an event linked to the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break different from other “FT Breaks”?

In essence, all FT Breaks are the same. The only distinction of a FT Break meant to help set the World Record, is:

1) your event will coincide with hundreds of others across the country to recognize the benefits of Fair Trade on or around May 9; and

2) you need to count and report to us the number of people participating in your event. Please visit FTRN.org for details about the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break.

Activities to incorporate into any Break…

Want to add some fun activities to your Break? Below are some ideas for ways to get people engaged and thinking about Fair Trade products.

Possible Actions

North meets South - The Global Farmers Market concept

Typically we think of our farmers markets selling only those things that were made or grown within a certain radius of where we live, but what about those products that can’t be grown locally or aren’t made locally -such as Fair Trade products,

Consider approaching your local farmers market to set up a table and hold an event on or around May 9th! Discuss with them the Global Farmers Market concept - how products that are Fair Trade Certified or are sold by Fair Trade Federation members are not in direct competition to our local farmers, but are rather complimentary. The market may have a policy against selling anything that has not been grown or produced locally, but many farmers markets offer a non-profit table for free. This is the perfect opportunity to reach new audiences. Use a table to provide educational material and offer free samples of Fair Trade products.

Book Club Meeting

There is currently a large amount of Fair Trade literatures available to read. At your next book club meeting you could encourage people to bring along a Fair Trade article, book or story they have recently read and share with the group what they thought of the piece. Check out FTRN’s website to see their ‘Recommended Reading List’. We recommend ‘Conscious Consumer: Promoting Economic Justice Through Fair Trade’ by Rose Benz Ericson or ‘Fair Trade: A Beginners’ Guide’ by Jacqueline DeCarlo.

Fair Trade themed Quiz

A fun way to get people thinking about Fair Trade is to host a Fair Trade Quiz. There are plenty of statistics and facts available on ftrn.org that will help you put your quiz questions together. You may even want put together beginner and expert questions so all levels of understanding can participate. You can use these questions for anything from a school quiz to your local pub quiz.

Blind Tastings

There are a few people out there who are not aware of the great range and quality of Fair Trade products and get nervous about switching from their usual brand. Put their fears to rest by offering them the opportunity to do some blind tastings of Fair Trade and non-Fair Trade products e.g. chocolate, coffee, tea etc.

Here’s how: Get a couple of similar priced Fair Trade and non- Fair Trade products, remove the packaging and ask people to try them. Create a survey to see which are the most popular - hopefully the Fair Trade ones will come out on top! Access special offers on Fair Trade products from WFTD sponsors in our WFTD toolkit.

Film Evening or Festival

Films are great educational tools, offering viewers opportunities to better understand the ways in which products are grown and/or processed. There are a number of recommended films profiled on FTRN’s website .

Pledge

Get individuals to pledge that they will switch one of their regular grocery purchases to Fair Trade e.g. coffee - you could create a pledge form and collect them to display somewhere public. Also bring a copy of the pledge to your local supermarket to help persuade them to go Fair Trade. You can commit to supporting World Fair Trade Day on change.org/ftrn

Fun Fair Trade Curricula

Know a teacher? Remember a cool teacher you or your son or daughter used to have? What about suggesting a lesson plan or activity to celebrate/honor WFTD, and Fair Trade in general. There are a number of organizations that have put together curricula for teaching Fair Trade to all different age groups. Check out FTRN’s website to find a curriculum that best suits your child’s age group.

More Resources:

To learn about existing Fair Trade Breaks around the country, or post your own, visit our Events Calendar.

To obtain free print & electronic materials for your Fair Trade Break, including the ones pictured above, visit our WFTD Toolkit.

Download a printable Fair Trade Break Action Guide & Checklist

Any questions? Email us at wftday[at]ftrn.org