SQA

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

suzannetrain Published

Every year the Fairtrade Fortnight has a theme and this year it is all about the people we should be thinking about who are producing our food and most particularly the women. The tag line this year is She Deserves. For example; She deserves a doctor, She deserves to eat, She deserves clean water, She deserves a living wage.

Let’s take cocoa for example, the main ingredient in our favourite treat – chocolate!

Much of the cocoa for chocolate comes from the Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa and £1.98 is the estimated amount a cocoa farmer needs to earn each day to live. Currently the typical cocoa farmer only earns 78p per day, can you even imagine that?

For women the situation is even worse, not only do they have to plant, tend and harvest the cocoa beans but they also have to fetch and carry water and wood for their families every day. Cook and clean and care for their children as well. All that for less than a pound a day.

Fairtrade want everyone to have a Living Income. What is a living income? A living income is making enough money each day for a simple yet dignified life, a human right. Enugh money for basic food, for clean water, for medical attention when required. All the things that we in the west take completely for granted.

How can YOU help?

Buy Fairtrade goods whenever possible

Donate to the Fairtrade charity

Sign a petition

Hold an event to raise money for Fairtrade; a sponsored run, walk, skip, swim or dance.

Why not hold a Bake Sale and have all proceeds go to Fairtrade 9remember to use Fairtrade ingredients). Here is a super recipe for Fairtrade Banana Cake.

BANANA CAKE

Ingredients;

  • 500g extra ripe bananas (brownish spotty ones)
  • 400g plain flour
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 350g golden caster sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 200g yogurt
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large free range eggs

For Icing;

  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 230g icing sugar
  • 30g cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp milk

How to;

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease and lline a loaf tin
  • Mix the flour, baking soad and salt along with the butter till you get breadcrumb like testure
  • In a cup mix the yogurt and vanilla extract then add to the mixture
  • Stir in the eggs and the sugar and mix well
  • Mash the bananas and mix in thoroughly (this can all be done in an electric mixer)
  • Spoon the batter into the baking tin and bake for approximately 25 minutes till golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin then tip out carefully on to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • To make the icing just mix all the ingredients together and spread over the cake.

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