Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 launched in Donegal

Donegal has been invited to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight 2020.

Now an annual stable in the county, Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from Monday, February 24 to Sunday, March 8, will be launched in Carndonagh.

The event, a local country market and stalls, will take place in the Colgan Hall on Friday, March 6. It will also feature guest speakers, as part the Fairtrade celebrations and awareness raising campaign. 

According to Patsy Toland, one of the event's co-organisers, this year’s focus will be on cocoa.

Speaking to  Donegal Live, Patsy said: “Fairtrade Ireland’s mission continues to ensure that all farmers are paid fairly for their work and are able to earn a living income.

“The event on Friday at the Colgan Hall will be include local producers, schools and the community coming together to celebrate Fairtrade fortnight.  

“Stalls will include  the area’s primary schools, as well as Jenny’s Pop Up Bakery, Carn Men’s Shed, IDP, Barrack Hill Community Garden,  BeeOrganics, and many others.

“This year Naomh Bridhid NS will provide a  musical performance, followed by short inputs from a member of the Fairtrade committee; our two local TD’s, Charlie McConalogue and Padraig MacLochlainn, and Donna McFeeley, from Derry-based charity,Children in Crossfire, who is also a member of the board of Fairtrade Ireland,” said Patsy.

Alongside all this, there will be lots of Fairtrade tea and coffee.   

Denise McCool, a member of Fairtrade Carndonagh and the Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) told Inish Times: “We are pleased also to have the support of the local businesses, youth and community sector and schools along with the Council in promoting this work in the town.  

“We hope as many members of the community as possible can come out to celebrate and show our support for Fairtrade and farmers on Friday, March 6. We can make a difference by the choices we make.”

IDP is supporting Fairtrade Fortnight as part of the Changemakers programme.  

Carndonagh has been a Fairtrade town for six years, a fact proudly proclaimed on signage around the market town.

Carndonagh's Fairtrade Committee also called on the Inishowen community to put Fairtrade in their shopping basket and support Fairtrade to drive much-needed change for farmers in developing countries during Fairtrade Fortnight.  

A spokesperson explained: “We have been campaigning for Fairtrade for six years now and have learnt what difference it makes around the world. 

“Yet, not enough people are buying it and not enough farmers are benefiting from it. We need everyone in the community to get behind farmers and their families this Fortnight.  

“Join hundreds of others across Ireland this Fairtrade Fortnight to help our friends, neighbours, colleagues and communities to put Fairtrade in their basket and take exploitation out.”

For further information contact Denise at IDP 9362218.