The Great FairTrade Grocery Hunt - post here

Debt_Free_Chick

Voyager2002 wrote:

I'm unhappy about this statement.

That's because we're talking about different things "fair trade" as opposed to "Fairtrade" the label. I've replied, indirectly, on the other thread to avoid cluttering this one up.

zar

Haven't got any prices to hand unfortunately so no good on the value part, but thought I'd start my listing places where I've bought fairtrade products and any of my musings as I go:

Many churches sell fairtrade produce (stuff that keeps, like tea) either every week or once a month they have a stall. If you aren't a churchgoer you could ask around to find out when these happen and then go along after the service.

Co-op - even small ones usually have a selection. I'm a sucker for their own brand crispy white chocolate (mmm) and also their fairtrade shortbread cookies.

Tesco - sell the major brands like cafe direct, their own brand fairtrade tea and coffee, some sugar though not all the different kinds. Usually you can find bananas and oranges.

Oxfam - most oxfam shops sell some products, some more than others. They do seem to be expanding the range and you can get all the basics (tea, coffee, orange juice, chocolate).

Other shops - for example, local to me, in Canterbury the wholefoods shop sells fairtrade bananas and also things like sugar. The Christian bookshop sells fairtrade chocolate. These are the types of places to have a look if you would rather not make fairtrade a supermarket's goldmine (see below).

Vending machines - at my university there is now a fairtrade vending machine selling chocolate and biscuits, how cool is that?! :cool:

If I can I prefer to buy at oxfam or similar, as you know the shop profits are also going to a good cause. There was a very interesting programme on the BBC a few months ago about whether fairtrade products are a rip-off. Basically when you buy fairtrade bananas in tesco firstly you have to buy them prepacked, and you pay a premium on the prepacked price of non-fairtrade bananas, some of which is the extra that goes to the consumer and some of which is a brand premium in the same way as buying stuff from the finest range. :mad: Now ethically, the producers are still getting the extra bit of money so you aren't ripping them off as much, and you are richer than them so it doesn't mean you shouldn't buy fairtrade. But the middleman is making an extra cynical profit as well. The programme did say that the cheapest place to buy FT bananas was waitrose as you can buy them loose so they are cheaper, I don't regularly shop there though.

Meanymoo

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to report that yesterday I bought a bunch of Sainsbury's Basics bananas which are certified Fairtrade. Much cheaper than their non-basics Fairtrade bunch - £1.19 for 8 massive bananas. They are Basics because they're slightly different sizes and some of them have slight marks on their skins - fine by me, I like a bit of variety in life.:D I was very pleased with this purchase as it's the first Fairtrade product I've found which is also moneysaving.

lin473

M&S are currently doing a 'buy one get one half price ' on their Fairtrade products.
Tea and coffee are all Fairtrade in M&S and usually good value anyway,but this offer makes them exceptional .
I buy the Gold decaffinated - 2x big 200g jars for £7.49 (normally 4.99) but they do cheaper stuff too and different blends that I can't remember the price of.
They also do Fairtrade sugar 79p a kilo so this promotion makes it £1.19 for 2kg - cheaper than Tesco and all the Supermarkets I know for their standard
stuff!
Also conserves etc.

rosh12

Sainsburys and Co Op both have 20% of all the Fairtrade stuff for Ft fortnight.

Morrisons have an expanded range of Fairtrade including apple and orange juice and Ithink they may also have some discounts?

(I've noticed most shops seem to expand their range of Ft products just for the fortnight which is annoying. Maybe we should all write to the shops to THANK THEM for their efforts and say how much we appreciate the Ft ranges- and also say that they should stock more all year round!)

In terms of the debate - I've posted this somewhere else possibly on this forum so SORRY for repetition!, but I go shopping armed with the LOAF acronym- Local, Organic, Animal-friendly, Fairtrade.

I don't actually use it in the "LOAF" order... My first thought is can I buy a locally made / produced version? If so, can I get organic and / or animal friendly? (eg eggs, meat etc).

We get a veg box delivered from a local farm so that's quite handy!

Finally if the item I need generally has to come from overseas (tea, coffee, bananas, cotton products, wine (can't always afford expensive English wine!) etc) can I get the Fairtrade version?

Hope that helps?

It's a difficult issue but one that we definitely all ened to think about- I think it's good we can have these discussions on here!

:T

claire1847

HI there - I thought I'd hop in with a 'local' resource. I have posted on another thread which I now can't find (bit green myself when it comes to forums!) about avoiding the supermarkets and trying to shop local wherever possible.

Anyway - have found https://www.bigbarn.co.uk which I am very excited about as have now found a local dairy who deliver, and another farm shop nearby that I was not aware of as it's on a road I don't usually use. You put in your postcode and search and you get a map covered in icons of what is nearby.

My idea of fairtrade is very much buying local and supporting local / regional and then UK producers where possible, but then if I am buying the things we can't produce here then going 'fairtrade' wherever possible.

It's not utopia, but we're crawling in that general direction

xx

yell25

Here's a great site with hiundreds of Fairtrade marked products and a bulk buying scheme which you can save upto 30% on fairtrade goodies including Divine Chocolate and Cafe direct

http://www.!!!!!!/category/bulk-buying/

It looks like they have a fairtrade fortnight event kit to which is very reasonably priced.

ti1980

At M&S as mentioned above the various Fairtrade items are on buy one get one half price such as the conserves, marmalades, sugar, tea and coffee.

For example, granulated sugar is 79p for 1kg, buy 2 of them and it costs £1.18 so therefore each 1kg bag has cost you 59p.
Coarse cut marmalade is £1.49. (454g).
No peel marmalade is £1.49. (454g).
Apricot conserve is £1.55 (340g).
Blueberry conserve is £1.75 (340g).
Raspberry conserve is £1.69 (340g).
80 red label teabags are £1.29.
160 red label teabags are £1.99.
80 Gold label teabags are £1.89.
160 Gold label teabags are £3.19.
100g of Gold label coffee is £2.19.
200g of Gold label coffee is £3.99.

All of the above Fairtrade BOGOHP are interchangeable and if you get 2 different products then they take off 25% off the total price of the 2 products.