1 December 2011. The famous ethical brand Fair Trade Original™ was launched in Woolworths stores earlier this month. The products, four exciting herb & spice grinders, contain Fairtrade certified ingredients from India and are proudly mixed and packed in South Africa.

18 November 2011, Cape Town: Climate change has wiped out nearly half of the 10 million coffee trees the members of the Fairtrade Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union have planted since 2003, according to the unionʼs operations director Bernard Kaunda. Mzuzu, Coffee represents 3,500 small holder coffee producers in Malawiʼs mountainous northern region whose hopes rest on COP17 delivering policies that can help them in the face of climate change.

In the run-up to the COP17 climate negotiations taking place in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November -- 9 December 2011, an international alliance of civil society organisations has called upon negotiators to seriously and objectively address the role of tourism. The alliance points out that it is irresponsible to exclude aviation on the grounds that tourism is an "engine of development" and argues that globally binding negotiations on aviation emissions will, if managed properly, enhance rather than undermine poverty reduction. 

The recent decision by Fair Trade USA (formerly Transfair USA) to withdraw from the Fairtrade International (FLO), and to extend the scope of Fair Trade to include plantations and factories, has long-term and far-reaching consequences for the Fair Trade movement. 

Fairtrade Africa has been undergoing major organisational changes culminating in the creation of independent Board positions as per the new constitution. The Board of Fairtrade Africa is therefore calling for applications for independent Board Directors from individuals, preferably based in Africa with excellent knowledge and extended working experience in the field. More information can be found here.

Maltesers® to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in UK/Ireland in 2012, Mars to provide more than $1 million annually in Fairtrade Premiums to farmers’ co-operatives in West Africa 

Fairtrade International, Bonn - Monday, 19 September 2011 marked the ten-year anniversary of the signing of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, an agreement by the largest chocolate companies to eliminate unacceptable child labour practices in the growing and harvesting of West African cocoal, which supplies most of the world with cocoa beans. In 2010, the US Departement of Labor's Cocoa Oversight Body, Tulane University's Final Annual Report suggested, among other things, that product certification provides credible assurance that cocoa is being produced in line with ILO Convention 182. 

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) was honoured as the Top Gender Empowered Company: Travel Tourism and Entertainment at Topco Media's 8th Annual Top Women Awards on 23 September 2011. In addition, FTTSA was a finalist as the Top Gender Empowered Company in South Africa in 2011. Accepting the award on behalf of FTTSA, Executive Assistant, Netsai Sibanda, said "Tourism has tremendous potential to contribute towards transformation efforts in South Africa, and FTTSA has been at the forefront of this movement for the last ten years. It was great to have our efforts recognized by Top Women Awards 2011".

On Friday, 9 September 2011, the winners of the two Fairtrade trophies were announced at the Michelangelo CCL Label International Wine Awards (MIWA) ceremony at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West. The Best Fairtrade Red goes to Stellenrust Timeless Red Blend 2008, and the Best Fairtrade White goes to Bosman Family Vineyards' Sur Lie Chenin Blanc 2011. In addition, the Fairtrade Palesa Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (marketed by the uniWines Group) won a Gold Medal. 

This Heritage Day, 24 September 2011, environmental organisations the world over - including Cape Town - will take to the streets to call for a new way of moving, a way that moves beyond fossil fuels and a dependancy on private vehicles and leaves behind a sustainable, low-carbon legacy. 

Johannesburg, South Africa, 7 June. Fairtrade Label South Africa (FLSA), the national member of Fairtrade International, and Fairtrade Africa, the network of African producer organisations, are pleased to to confirm today that Kraft Foods much-loved chocolate slab, Cadbury Dairy Milk [plain], is to become the first Fairtrade certified confectionery brand in South Africa. Slabs carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark are due to appear on the shelf towards the end of the year. 

3rd June 2011 (Brussels) - European Union leaders have spoken out for Fair Trade and congratulated the Fair Trade Towns movement as it reaches its 1000th Fair Trade Town. On Saturday 4 June 2011, Spain's capital city Madrid joined the UK Prime Minister David Cameron's constituency Witney, amongst others, in reaching the status of the 1000th Fair Trade Town world wide, most of them in the EU. On this festive occasion the Fair Trade movement calls on the European to reflect the EU citizens' views in its upcoming legislative and policy proposals. 

Fairtrade Label South Africa (FLSA) is glad to announce that Fairtrade is growing from strength to strength with sales in 2010 reaching ZAR18.4 million, a steep increase from the ZAR5.7 million estimated in 2009, showing that awareness and demand for Fairtrade products in South Africa are on a rise. The bulk of the sales are mainly accounted for by local Fairtrade wine and African Fairtrade coffee, which are currently the key Fairtrade products available on the local market.  

At an event held at Africa's biggest tourism trade show, Indaba, representatives of some of the country's top tourism establishments showed their support in the continued fight against the sexual exploitation of children in tourism. Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), the local representative for the Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct (The Code), hosted a public signing event at their stand at the Indaba Travel Show in Durban yesterday.

"TRADE FOR PEOPLE - Fair Trade your life"

How African producers can benefit from sustainable adaptation strategies through the Fairtrade supply chain. 

The fair trade volunteer programme is recruiting! 

Fairtrade Label SA has extra office space available to rent to a small NGO / NPO / business / consultancy. 

A fair trade networking event for the Johannesburg consumer, trader and advocate!

Nicky Abrahams

Price Protection for Thousands of Fairtrade Producers Committed to Organic Farming

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - Fairtrade Africa assists African farmers with HIV/AIDS and other diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) to ensure they can continue working as long as their health permits.

Promote Fairtrade in your Fairtrade t-shirt and stand the chance to win a R1000 Pick n Pay voucher!