SCHOOLCHILDREN, community groups and hundreds of individuals across Craven took part in Fairtrade Fortnight, which aims to help food producers across the globe to get a fair income for the goods they produce.

Inspired by a visit to the area last September of two rice farmers from Malawi, the fairly traded ‘Kilombero’ rice they grow featured prominently in many of the activities leading up to and during this year’s event, organised by Skipton Fairtrade Initiative.

Among many activities across the area, Alexander’s Bar and Kitchen in Skipton used the rice when they hosted a ‘Fairtrade Supper’ event, Kildwick School sold rice during its Fairtrade coffee afternoon and Water Street School in Skipton took on a ‘double 90kg rice challenge,’ taking over the Skipton Parkrun. Even though the weather featured wind, rain and hail, some members of staff, parents and the school’s Fairtrade group sold rice whilst others tackled the run itself.

Since September, four schools in Craven, and Skipton Fairtrade Initiative, have sold 540kg of rice, and the extra the farmers have therefore been paid will enable six children to attend secondary school for a year.

There were also several Fairtrade baking competitions - Sutton Cof E School hosted a sale and raised £75 which will ‘pump start’ their monthly Fairtrade tuck shop.

Each tutor group at Skipton Girls’ High School made a Fairtrade-themed cake with Fairtrade chocolate, as the focus for the Fortnight this year was on women cocoa farmers in West Africa.

Children at Sutton CE and Glusburn schools took part in treasure hunts, while the Co-op in Cross Hills was the destination for children from Glusburn who had fun spotting Fairtrade products - and tasting the chocolate.

The Co-op donated Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar for the Fairtrade coffee morning held at then school.

Coffee mornings and afternoons, Fairtrade cafes and breakfasts were held in Embsay and Lothersdale in community halls, and at schools in Glusburn, Kildwick and Bentham. At Bentham parents and children were invited into school early for a Fairtrade pancake breakfast on Shrove Tuesday.

Joanna Pollard, of Fairtrade Yorkshire, spoke at the supper event at Alexander’s. She said: “If we buy products without considering where they come from and at what cost, we become part of the problem by exploiting workers in developing countries. Everyone deserves a living income; by buying Fairtrade products, workers and farmers get fair pay for their work.”