Tea, coffee or chocolate might be good Fairtrade products to start with, if you aren't in the habit of buying any Fairtrade products.

All these are luxury items, even if you think you depend on them, and those who work to produce them are often exploited and poorly paid.

Moreover, they are readily available in supermarkets and there is a wide range of choice for tea and coffee, so if you don't like one brand you will probably find another to your taste.

If you already buy Fairtrade tea and coffee perhaps buying fairly traded fresh fruit such as bananas and other fruit in season would be a good way increase what you buy already.

Fairtrade should mean less pesticides are used as these can seriously damage the health of the workers. Some Fairtrade products are also produced organically, but it may be too expensive to gain permission to display both logos.

Have you tried Fruit Passion fruit juice?

Making Fairtrade Your Habit

For those who already buy a variety of Fairtrade products how about trying Fairtrade biscuits or switching to Fairtrade sugar? You could also look out for fresh fruit such as grapes, oranges, mangoes, pinapples and avocados, which are available when in season.

Apart from what is available in supermarkets there is an even wider range of products available through church Fairtrade stalls or the Traidcraft catalogue. These can provide you with rice, pasta, dried fruit, shelled nuts and along with a good choice of sweets and snack bars.

Click here for list of products and stockists.

Flaunt Fairtrade Fashion

Don't forget that there is a wide range of Fairtrade clothing now avalable. Workers in the textile industry in developing countries can also be exploited and poorly paid. There is also the problem of high pesticide use on cotton, especially when a wealthy owner is not overly concerned with the welfare of the workers.

Take a look at Fairtrade clothing catalogues and consider buying from there.

Traidcraft fashion pages

Bishopston Trading Company

People Tree

Gossypium

Have a Fair Trade Easter

Have you started to plan for Easter yet? Now is the time to start to think of making your Simnel Cake with Fairtrade fruit and sugar, and buying some of the Fairtrade Easter eggs and mini eggs now available.

There is a good selection of Fairtrade wine available from supermarkets as well as Traidcraft.

How many of the presents you buy could be Fairtrade? You may be pleasantly surprised.