10 Easy Swaps to Support Fairtrade in Guernsey

Helping others can boost your sense of wellbeing as well as helping make the world a better place… and it can be so easy! Simply including a few Fairtrade products in your weekly shop can have a big impact, and Fairtrade Guernsey is working with local suppliers to bring us lots of great products to choose from.

This year's Fairtrade Fortnight is all about the future of food, shining a spotlight on the increasing threat that climate change poses to some of our favourite food products and the livelihoods of the farmers who grow them. By making a few simple swaps to Fairtrade products we can all play a part in helping to protect nature by bringing positive change to millions of agricultural workers in developing countries.

'Here in Guernsey, we drink around 55.5m cups of tea a year and eat approximately 4.5m bananas. What if all of those were Fairtrade? There is a huge amount we can all do... By choosing Fairtrade now, you are helping protect nature now as well as the future of our food.”

Hannah Davis, Secretary of the Fairtrade Guernsey Steering Group

1. Tea & Coffee

Switch your morning cuppa to Fairtrade tea or coffee... and it doesn’t have to stop there. Why not seek out Fairtrade drinks when you’re able to get back out and about? The OGH is one of many establishments on island that serves up a lovely Fairtrade cuppa with breakfast or afternoon tea.

2. Biscuits

Dunk a delicious Fairtrade biscuit in your Fairtrade cuppa... at home!

3. Wine

Raise a glass to Fairtrade wine. The Co-op stocks a selection of red, white and rosé, so whether you prefer Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz, there’s something for everyone.

4. Beauty Products

Swap out some of your everyday beauty products for Fairtrade options, such as sustainable Fairtrade cotton buds from The Guernsey Weigh. Feeling creative? Try making your own exfoliator from Fairtrade coconut oil and coffee granules.

5. Herbs & Spices

Look out for Fairtrade herbs and spices such as turmeric and pepper when you’re stocking up your cupboards at the local supermarket.

6. Baking Ingredients

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll find Fairtrade certified vanilla essence and sugar for all of those homemade sweet treats you’re baking during lockdown.

7. Chocolate

Choose Fairtrade chocolate next time you’re browsing for a tasty treat. Back in 2020, Waitrose made the move to only use cocoa sourced on Fairtrade terms in their confectionery. Standing ovation please.

8. Clothing

Look out for Fairtrade Cotton fashion in White Stuff and Little Ginger, local clothing boutiques bringing us ethically sourced, sustainable fashion.

9. Bananas

Grab yourself a healthy energy injection with Fairtrade bananas… they’re everywhere!

10. Flowers

Treat yourself to a lovely bunch of Fairtrade flowers. You might be surprised to learn that a study about the environmental impact of Fairtrade roses grown and flown in from Kenya showed that they had a lower carbon footprint than the equivalent bunch of flowers grown in the Netherlands.

If you’d like to support Fairtrade, but don’t always know where to find their products in Guernsey, this is the Facebook group for you: Fairtrade Suppliers in Guernsey, bridging the gap between local suppliers and the global farmers.