GFA Activities in 2020

A Year That Began Normally — and Changed Dramatically

2020 started with optimism and face-to-face action — but quickly shifted as the COVID-19 pandemic brought events to a halt.
We held a successful Fairtrade Fortnight before lockdown, but the rest of the year became about adapting: moving updates online, supporting campaigns remotely and keeping our community connected to Fairtrade’s vital message.

January — Working with Young Campaigners

Gosport Employment & Skills Fair (30 January 2020)

Gosport Fairtrade Action teamed up with youth group Loud and Proud to serve Fairtrade refreshments to stallholders and visitors.

• GFA members Sarah and June set up displays and handed out leaflets.
• We talked to representatives from local and national employers about why using Fairtrade products in workplaces matters.
• Loud and Proud raised funds for their own activities while helping spread the Fairtrade story.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 (23 February – 8 March)

The national campaign focused on living incomes for women cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire — continuing the UK-wide She Deserves Fairtrade theme.

Why Women Cocoa Farmers?

Many women grow the cocoa we love but earn far below a living income. Fairtrade campaigns to change this, helping women farmers secure better pay, training and resilience against climate change.

Local Highlights

• Displays
  • Exhibits in the Town Hall Reception and Discovery Centre:
    She Deserves Fairtrade & Fairtrade and Climate Change.
  • Bookworm Café used Fairtrade table-talkers.
  • “Story bombs” — small packs with inspiring stories of women cocoa farmers — were hidden around the Discovery Centre, Town Hall and some churches for people to discover and share.
• Tree Planting (23 Feb)
  With local Cubs, families and the Mayor at Grange Farm, we planted a hazel coppice edged with crab apple trees. Everyone warmed up afterwards with Fairtrade hot chocolate, refreshments, displays and a quiz.
• Schools
  Alverstoke Junior School celebrated with classroom activities and videos.
  GFA Chair Mark Smith spoke at an assembly to inspire pupils.
• Mayor’s Fairtrade Tea Party (5 March)
  The Mayor hosted a tea party in the Town Hall Council Chamber, welcoming:
  • Local women’s organisations & Councillors
  • Fairtrade refreshments — tea, homemade cakes and chocolate tasting
  • A Fairtrade Biscuit Competition (won by Marion Small, Stokes Bay WI)
  • A multi-media presentation:
    • Videos of cocoa farmers
    • Readings of farmers’ own statements
    • Introduction to the Fairtrade Women’s School of Leadership, empowering women to know their rights and lead change
    • Discussion on how climate change is affecting cocoa farming and how Fairtrade helps with disease-resistant crops and sustainability training

GFA was hugely grateful to Loud and Proud for helping the event run smoothly — from reading during the presentation to selling raffle tickets.

COVID-19 and Fairtrade: Staying Connected

After March, in-person events stopped. But Fairtrade’s global story didn’t. We:

• Shared online updates about how Fairtrade producers were coping and helping their communities.
• Emailed supporters regularly with campaign news and inspiring stories.
• Posted resources on our website, including:
  • Flower workers in Kenya using the Fairtrade Premium to buy bicycles and make masks.
  • Banana co-ops in the Dominican Republic running COVID health campaigns and protecting vulnerable workers.
  • Coffee co-ops in Honduras distributing hygiene kits and medical supplies.

Global Support for Producers

In August, the Fairtrade Foundation helped secure £6.85m UK Government funding (Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility) for flower and cocoa farmers hit by the pandemic — with big contributions from Co-op, M&S, Tesco and Mondelēz International.

Campaigning Online

• Nurturing Biodiversity & Reducing Carbon Footprint
  We shared reports on how Fairtrade banana growers in Latin America have cut agrichemical use by 35%, halved water use, improved soil health, and increased productivity — all helping fight climate change.
• Nestlé and KitKat
  When Nestlé dropped Fairtrade certification for KitKat, we promoted petitions and shared updates from the Ivorian Fair Trade Network (RICE) and campaigners like Joanna Pollock of Fairtrade Yorkshire.
• One World Week: “Let’s Make the World Better” (22 Oct)
  GFA joined other South East Hants Fairtrade groups for an online event.
  • We presented a PowerPoint on how COVID affected producers — from economic hardship to increased risk of child labour.
  • Discussed practical actions we can take to support producers facing the combined challenges of the pandemic and climate crisis.

Reflection on 2020

Though the year was disrupted, our commitment didn’t stop:

• We started strong with youth engagement and a successful Fairtrade Fortnight focused on women cocoa farmers.
• We pivoted to online campaigning, keeping supporters informed and inspired.
• We highlighted how Fairtrade protects farmers — both in a pandemic and against climate change.

2020 reminded us how globally connected we all are. Even when we couldn’t meet in person, our choices and voices in Gosport still mattered for farmers thousands of miles away.