PAST EVENTS
Just Food Conference
13th March, 2010
"The whole day was amazing, the talks at the beginning sparked ideas that developed throughout the day! The final panel discussions meant we could hear other peoples’ views and thoughts from the day"
"Congratulations! It was a brilliant conference - lively, interesting, and probably the first one where I didn't go on overload and cut off halfway through the afternoon."
"I enjoyed myself. I was particularly glad to meet the Solent slow food group whose first meeting will be in Wickham down the road. Jedd is a very interesting guy and I picked up a few useful cooking tips from his demo. It's always nice to meet new people at these sorts of events and I imagine there was a large amount of networking going on."
Favourite part of the day? "Food for Thought workshop- it was fun, packed in a lot of information and was memorable"
Mayor Elizabeth Mizon opened the conference with a fantastic talk, praising the Southampton Fair Trade Group for being a "squeaky gate" that keeps Fair Trade on people’s minds.
Megan Streb introduced the day with a very stimulating talk, stressing that a conference is only as good as the actions that come out of it.
Kath Dalmeny, policy director of Sustain, spoke about the need for action to fix the nation's food systems. She emphasised that this not only needs regulatory actions of the kind brought about by Sustain's work with government and institutions. It also needs community work to improve people's awareness and willingness to change.
Sue Branford of GRAIN then spoke about food security across the globe. She showed how this is being threatened in developing countries by "land grabbing" by nations such as China and Saudi Arabia, which are buying up large chunks of land in countries like Sudan to solve their own security problems, and in the process are diverting valuable water resources away from local food production.
Josie Cohen of HungerFREE, a campaign run by ActionAid, explained biofuel production to the audience and the effect it has had on global food security, and food prices in the surrounding areas. She clearly explained what we could do to help and how European targets and legislation were encouraging this practice.
Rebecca Morahan of Co-operative College ran a workshop called "Fair and Square" during which participants were invited to try to rank a series of products from a local Co-op store from least to most ethical. This turned out to be amazingly difficult, and stimulated a lot of discussion. As someone commented: "If we find it so difficult, what hope is there for people who don't read up on these things?" This turned out to be a very simple way of raising a lot of complex questions.
Claire Plumb from the Leicester-Masaya Link Group ran an excellent simulation called "Food For Thought", which is used in schools around Leicester to help children learn about fair trade and the free trade of the global economy. Participants had the chance to "be" residents of a village in Masaya, Nicaragua that lives from the land. As we bought seed and then tried to sell the crops we’d grown, we could understand more directly how the global economy affects local markets and people’s lives thousands of miles away. This hands-on situation really helped people to see the issues starkly.
Jedd Hayward of Woodlands Community School managed to not only demonstrate how to cook a number of dishes using local, seasonal ingredients, but he discussed plenty of ethical food issues with a non-stop presentation! From slash and burn to biodiversity, Jedd managed to tackle key issues while the smell of organic coconut milk and New Forest chicken filled the air.
The final afternoon session was a lively discussion between the audience and a panel including the speakers and the Mayor, Cllr Mizon. This could have gone on far longer than the hour allotted to it, and showed we had an audience that was not only well-informed but hungry for change.
With support from:
ActionAid, Art House Gallery Café, Co-operative College, Co-operative Group, Environmental Justice Foundation, Friends of the Earth, GRAIN, Grow Your Own Cards/Southcoast Books, Hampshire Fare, October Books, Southampton Fair Trade Shop, Southampton Solent University, Sunnyfields, Slow Food Solent, Sustain, Transition Southampton, Zaytoun
Special thanks to:
Grassroots Grants and Southampton Solent University for their generous funding, without which the day would not have been possible.
Food for the Future Day
13th June 2009, Down to Earth Community Farm, Millbrook
The day brought together the themes of local, ethical and fair trade food, aiming to show that it was possible to eat well and ethically on a tight budget. It was a very imaginative event and an enjoyable day in a beautiful setting. It also brought together a range of organisations. Georgina Windsor, Radio Solent gardening expert and host of "Grow it, cook it, eat it", came to open the day; Kate Hughes of Cook Academy provided catering demonstrations; Green Action gave away salad seed kits; Transition Southampton and Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign provided films; Sunnyfields Organic Farm did the catering; and volunteers from the Art House offered face-painting and home-made cakes. There was a range of stalls. Everybody present seemed to enjoy the opportunity to learn about affordable and ethical food, and to admire the vegetable plots and the obviously happy farm animals.
The day was made possible by a Grassroots grant to hold two events around food. The second of these will be our Conference on March 13th 2010 at Solent University (see forthcoming events page).
Minister for International Development Visits Southampton Fair Trade Group
23rd February 2009
On Monday 23rd February the Labour Cabinet met in Southampton, and various ministers organised activities in Southampton related to their portfolios. International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, requested a meeting with the Fair Trade Group, which took place at the Solent University Conference Centre.
At quite short notice, we assembled most members of the Group and its partners, as well as city Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry, the City Councils's Catering Officer, Martin Orman, who has been energetically introducing fairly traded food into Southampton Schools), and a representative of the Bitterne Parish, where a Fairtrade pancake party was planned for Shrove Tuesday, the next day.
Received by Jane Longmore, Solent University's Academic Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the Minister packed a lot into his twenty-minute visit. He viewed a photophotographic display of the history of the SFTG, a sample of fairly traded goods from the Fair Trade shop, and was presented with a Solent University cotton bag made by Vandanamu Fair Trade, containing a copy of our new Fair Trade Directory and some Fairtrade snacks for his journey.
In a short speech the Minister congratulated us on our work, stressing the importance fair trade in transforming producers' lives, so that they not only recieved "a fair day's pay for a fair day's work", but with the Fairtrade premium could their communities as they wished.
Fairtrade Fortnight display in Central Library
On the suggestion of Lydia Buckley, the Business Development Officer of Southampton City Council's Leisure Services, we mounted a display for Fairtrade Fortnight of photos of the group's activities, Fairtrade posters and literature, Vandanamu bags, and a sample of goods for sale from the Fair Trade Shop. Further sample sales of fairly traded goods are planned for Lordshill and Bitterne Libraries in the future. Part of this display was moved to Solent University for the Minister's visit on 23rd February. Our thanks to Lydia for this very successful initiative, and to David Smith for many of the photos.
Southampton Fair Trade Group Christmas Market
We held this annual market on 1 December 2008, in the Civic Centre
Stall holders this year were:
- Vandanamu
- Siwok Crafts
- Hatti Handbags
- Rwandan hand made Christmas cards
- Tanzanian bags
Pick Your Cotton Carefully! Conference
25 October 2008, Solent University
Over 100 enthusiastic participants attended our conference on the ethics and practicalities of the cotton industry on Saturday 25 October at Solent University Conference Centre. They listened to speakers from a range of national organisations, watched films, saw demonstrations of cotton spinning and weaving from the Hants Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers, and browsed stalls selling fair trade, organic cotton goods. The Conference was attended by the Mayor of Southampton, Cllr Brian Parnell.
Opening the conference, the Rt Hon John Denham MP stressed the importance, despite the economic crisis, of continuing to support people in the poorer countries. Stephanie Williams of Pesticide Action Network reported on the high incidence of illness and death among cotton growers caused by pesticides, and argued that far from reducing production, organic methods actually increase it. Dominic Eagleton of ActionAid pointed out that cotton workers working a 60-hour week typically earn half of a living wage; he argued that if 10p were added to the cost of a £6 school uniform in the UK, the workers’ wages could be doubled. Monica Philbrick of Traidcraft described how Traidcraft works directly with groups of producers to improve conditions and produce high quality, organic goods. Christine Gent of the World Fair Trade Organisation explained more fully how fair trade and organic production can improve the lives of workers.
A lively discussion at the end of the day was chaired by our former Chair, the Rev. Ian Johnson, who recently retired from the City Centre Parish and now lives in Devon. It was an outstandingly successful session. Sadly Dominic Eagleton had had to leave early, but the three other speakers pooled their responses to questions to produce a really lively and gripping debate.
The day was an eye-opener, demonstrating the close link between what we wear and health and living conditions thousands of miles away. We are immensely grateful to all our speakers and to the organisations which helped us. A full list of the stallholders is provided below: the lively and colourful fair which they provided quickly became the centre of socialising, coffee-drinking and informal discussion.
Solent University’s hospitality yet again ensured that we had an excellent venue in which to combine exhibitions, stalls, talks and films, not to mention a steady supply of Fair Trade coffee, and their staff worked tirelessly to ensure that everything ran smoothly. The Co-operative Group as ever provided generous financial support and expertise, this time through a Co-operative Community Fund Award. Funding for publicity was provided by Southampton City Council. Southampton Sustainability Forum, in the person of their Outreach Officer, Claire Townend, gave very generous administrative support. Without all these contributions in money and in kind, it would have been quite impossible for us to mount such an impressive conference. Our photographer, David Smith, has given us a delightful record of the day.
Speakers:
- Dominic Eagleton, ActionAid: www.actionaid.org.uk
- Christine Gent: World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) – formerly IFAT: www.ifat.org (also Fairly Covered: www.fairlycovered.com)
- Monica Philbrick: Traidcraft: www.traidcraft.co.uk
- Dr Stephanie Williamson, Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK): www.pan-uk.org
Films:
- Moral Fibre: Organic Cotton (documentary about organic cotton production in Benin, the effects of pesticides, etc) 15min, £2.50, available from Pesticide Action Network
- White Gold – The True Cost of Cotton Available from the Environmental Justice Foundation (www.ejfoundation.org) 15 min, Donation of £10 is suggested
Stalls:
The Art House café: 81a Bedford Place, Southampton SO15 2DF, 023 8023 8582, www.thearthousesouthampton.co.uk
Bishopston Trading: www.bishopstontrading.co.uk
Christian Aid: 106 Shirley High Street, Southampton SO16 4FB 023 8070 6969 www.christian-aid.org.uk
The Co-operative Group, South West Region: Limesfield, Broad Road, Dulford, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2DY 01884 266892 www.co-operative.coop
Environmental Justice Foundation: www.ejfoundation.org
Fairly Covered: 6 Park Crescent, Brighton, BN2 3HA, Tel/Fax 01273 683154 www.fairlycovered.com
The Fair Trade Shop: 106 Shirley High St, Southampton SO16 4FB 023 8051 3344 www.thefairtradeshop.org.uk
Friends of the Earth (Southampton and Eastleigh): www.foe.co.uk/app/localgroups?action=display&groupid=11515
Hampshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers: www.hantsguildwsd.hampshire.org.uk
Karma Bags: contact Andrew Smith, 07810 191 075, karmabags@fsmail.net
October Books: 243 Portswood Rd, Southampton, SO17 2NG 023 8058 1030 www.octoberbooks.org
Vandanamu Fair Trade: 14 Glenwood Avenue, Southampton SO16 3QA Tel / Fax (023) 8076 9637 www.vandanamu.co.uk
WEN (Women’s Environmental Network): www.wen.org.uk
Go Green Bag Competition
This competition was stimulated by recent news reports about the pollution and damage to wildlife caused by plastic bags. Organised by Southampton Sustainability Forum and the Southampton Fair Trade Group, it was open to anyone from 3 to 20, who wanted to help reduce our dependency on plastic bags!. Prizewinners bags were displayed in a public exhibition and prizewinners were invited to a prize-giving ceremony in the grand Mayor’s Parlour.
Fair Trade Shop Fashion Show
26 April 2008, Tauntons College
Great Coffee For A Great Cause
2 April 2008, Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University continues to show its commitment to Fairtrade by becoming the first UK University to welcome a 'Cafeology' coffee bar onto campus.
The ethical coffee bar is the result of a new partnership between Cafeology, a 100% Fairtrade company, and Aramark the University's contracted caterer.
The first latte was served at an official opening ceremony – officiated by Dr Keith Johnson, Pro Vice Chancellor – External Development at Southampton Solent University, Bryan Unkles, Managing Director, Cafeology and Samantha Dormer from the Fairtrade Foundation - on Wednesday 2 April at 10.30am.
Bryan Carroll, Southampton Solent University’s Assistant Director of Estates & Facilities says:
"We are proud to be home to the first Cafeology on a university campus, which is particularly timely as we recently celebrated two years of 'Fairtrade University' status. The new café will continue to raise awareness of Fairtrade products among staff and students."
Fair Trade Market
1 March 2008, The Bargate
The sun shone and the wind blew for our very successful Fair Trade Market at the Bargate on Saturday 1 March. The Mayor, Cllr Stephen Barnes-Andrews, and the Lady Mayoress opened the event, reminding us of the 2.8 billion people in the world who live on less than £1.00 per day, and of the importance of Fair Trade in fighting poverty.
The town crier, followed by music from the HubBub drummers, Robin Bartholomew on the bagpipes, and the Woodcraft Folk choir drew in the crowds, and the Gypsy Jazz sextet Louche Manouche had everybody’s toes tapping with their afternoon set.
The ten stalls organised by Southampton Fair Trade Group did a brisk trade in colourful fairly traded clothing, crafts, bags and foodstuffs. We chatted to many interested people about fair trade and distributed hundreds of copies of the new Southampton Fairtrade Directory, along with free samples of Fairtrade chocolate, coffee, and tea donated by the Co-operate Group, and free Fairtrade bananas from Waitrose.
DJS Catering served Fairtrade coffee for the first time from their regular market stall. "It was well received by customers" they said. "We will definitely consider selling Fairtrade products in the future."
Fair Trade Fortnight also included a fair trade fashion show on Saturday 23 February and a fair trade wines and chocolate tasting on Thursday 6 March with a chance to meet the producers.
Co-operative Group Event: Food For Thought
14 November 2008, Southampton Solent University Conference Centre
This event aimed to scratch beneath the surface of the ethical dilemmas surrounding our shopping habits and unearth some of the complex issues behind them.
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