Beating the Drum for Fair Trade

June 2009

[Image: A Sambalouco musician ]
A Sambalouco musician

On Saturday 9th May, patrons at The Fair Trade Coffee Company and the Glebe community were treated to a display of Brazilian drumming and dancing by individuals from the performance group, Sambalouco.

Drumming took place in ten cities around the globe, this World Fair Trade Day, to demonstrate solidarity in promoting fair global trade practices.

The peaceful event aimed to raise awareness of just alternatives to the unfair trade practices of some mega-multinational corporations who dominate trade in commodities such as coffee, tea and chocolate. Global supporters included
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Annie Lennox and Stomp.

[Image: Drummers and dancers outside the Fair Trade ]
Drummers and dancers outside the Fair Trade

The group marched down Glebe Point Road, attracting attention with their infectious rhythms and eye-catching costumes, before settling outside Palms’ café and playing several sets of music over the next two hours.

Customers at The Fair Trade Coffee Company and nearby businesses, as well as passers-by on their way to Glebe markets, enjoyed the demonstration and were challenged to consider the effects their purchases have globally.

[Image: Brazilian dancers for Fair Trade ]
Brazilian dancers for Fair Trade

Certified Fairtrade products (those featuring the Fairtrade logo) have met stringent requirements of ensuring a fair wage for producers, contributing a small premium to community development initiatives and ensuring environmental sustainability.

By far the greatest amount of coffee, tea and chocolate in the world is grown in conditions with little protections for workers’ rights or the environment. Many other Fair Trade products are available, although presently tea, coffee and chocolate are the most common in Australia.

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