Earlier this month, Fair Trade Wales had the pleasure of taking part in a special event at Cardiff Met university – a Fairtrade Afternoon Tea event which brought together its students and different organizations to celebrate fair trade and the people behind our every day products.

The event opened with an introduction from us at Fair Trade Wales, discussing what exactly fair trade is, why it is important, and the special role Wales plays as the world’s first fair trade nation. The students and sustainability team at Cardiff Met had prepared a wonderful range of baked goods, all made with Fairtrade ingredients, including brownies, banana bread, and flapjacks.

These were all served with Fairtrade tea and coffee, which is also available to buy on campus in their cafeteria. Alongside these treats, the Cardiff Met team discussed each ingredient, explaining where the chocolate, bananas and sugar in these treats come from, and how the Fairtrade mark makes a real difference to the farmers who grow them.

After the presentation and tea, there was an opportunity to visit the stall by the university, where they were giving out Fairtrade chocolates, and also showing their Cardiff Met hoodies that are available to buy on campus, and are made from Fairtrade certified cotton!

Clare, the Co-op member activator, and Ally from Fairtrade Pontypridd, were also in attendance with a shared stall. They both chatted to the students about the wide range of Fairtrade products available to buy at the Co-op, and Ally explained her great work with Fairtrade Pontypridd – a community group that works to promote fair trade in their local area. Both showed that Fair Trade is something that is available on our streets, in our shops, and here in our communities in Wales.

It was great to see so many students taking part in the conversation during the day – asking questions, tasting the food, and learning about the people behind the products we buy every day. A huge thank you to the Cardiff Met Sustainability team for organizing the event and welcoming so many people. Thanks also to Clare from the Co-op and Ally from Fairtrade Pontypridd for sharing their time and knowledge.

These events remind us why we do this work – and the difference that a simple conversation with a cup of fairly made tea can make.