KATHARINE CAPOCCI has the details on how you can help small farmers in the developing world this Fairtrade Fortnight

GATESHEAD-based Traidcraft is urging tea and coffee lovers to help make a difference to the lives of smallholder farmers in the developing world by hosting a Big Brew coffee morning.

Traidcraft’s Big Brew takes place during Fairtrade Fortnight, from February 25 to March 10, a two-week Fairtrade awareness campaign, with supporters encouraged to host brew-ups and events to help the work of the development’s charity division, Traidcraft Exchange.

Last year Traidcraft supporters hosted more than 2,000 Big Brews across the UK and raised more than £50,000 for its charity work.

Established in 1979, Traidcraft, the UK’s leading Fairtrade organisation, has its HQ on the Team Valley trading estate.

This year, once again, it is encouraging schools, churches, and other groups to organise a coffee morning to raise funds to support projects with smallholder farmers in the developing world.

It is also asking creative folk to knit smallholder “mug hugs” to decorate cups of fairly traded tea and coffee.

Traidcraft has also launched a new Fairtrade decaffeinated coffee to mark the campaign.

The coffee comes from isolated communities in the remote mountains of North Guatemala.

It has a smooth, intense taste and is made from 100% high-grown Arabica beans. The Mountain Water Decaf process removes caffeine naturally.

The Arabica beans used in the coffee have been sourced from CIPAC, a small beekeeping co-operative from the Cerro Mountains, in north west Guatemala.

Traidcraft’s journey with the producer began in 2007 when it started to buy their honey.

The new decaff coffee is available in a 450g tub and costs £20.25. It can be purchased from their online shop, www.traidcraftshop.co.uk

There are around half a billion smallholder farmers across the world and some two billion people are dependent on smallholdings for their livelihoods.

Funds raised are essential in helping to transform the lives of farmers like Moli Chiran, pictured, a smallholder farmer in Charbangalia village in Bangladesh.

Moli says: “My yield has increased by around 25% and the quality is also better, that is why I get a better price.”

Traidcraft’s aim is to fight poverty through trade, helping people in developing countries transform their lives. It also runs development programmes in some of the poorest countries in the world, and campaigns in the UK and internationally to bring about trade justice.

Traidcraft Big Brew resource packs, which contain posters, invites, stickers and refreshments for 50 people, are available to buy from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk.

The full range of fairtrade refreshments can be bought from the online shop too.

Alternatively, a resource pack without refreshments can be downloaded for free at www.traidcraft.co.uk/ bigbrew.