What a combination of fairtrade treats! Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 is upon us and what a fortnight it’s proving to be. Despite a lack of sun at the launch event along London’s Southbank on Sunday the family race day was a great success. Races included the Cafedirect space hopper race and a divine chocolate egg and spoon race. Our stall was directly opposite the sports arena so cheers and whoops told us what was happening when the crowds were too thick for us to see, crowds who turned to find Shared Interest behind them and came to learn more.

Fabulous banana dancers made their way up and down the event avenue, Starbucks were giving out lots of fairtrade chocolate cake and fairtrade coffee samples (great to keep the hands warm) and Liberation Nuts ran a Harry Hill look-a-like contest with the man himself selecting the winner. Fairtrade Bananas were being given out by the bunch, good training for the Go Bananas Record Attempt on the 6^th and 7^th March.

Last night saw the celebrations for Fairtrade Fortnight kick off in Camden at the Town Hall with a Fairtrade Party. The party involved information stands, where I was able to spread the Shared Interest message, fairtrade curry, a talk from Indian cotton farmers who were keen to tell of their difficulty in accessing credit to develop their businesses highlighting the importance of Shared Interest and the need to increase our share capital to enable us to help more and more customers.

Finally, a new product on the fairtrade shelves, Vodka. Fairtrade Vodka is going to be launched in the UK shortly and there was an opportunity to sample it last night. Made from quinoa rather than potatoes this new fairtrade product shows the growing demand for new products to be available on the fairtrade shelves.

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