EDEN Fair Trade Network presented a "Meet the Producers" talk at Penrith Methodist Church.

The speakers for the evening were Steve and Jill Morris, who went on a holiday with a difference during 2010. They joined a "Highlights of India" excursion organised by Traidcraft, as part of their Meet the People tours.

Jill and Steve Morris with a display of some of the fair trade goodies that they brought back from India - Including Jill's blouse from SASHA!

This type of holiday is becoming increasingly popular, not only with those interested in Fairtrade and how it works, but by travellers wanting to learn more about the people and their lives in the countries they visit.

From far-ranging destinations such as the Philippines to Peru, Cuba to Chile and South Africa to Sri Lanka, tourists are finding out more about what really happens in the workshops and villages where Westerners rarely go.

Steve explained, using pictures, some of the places in India that supply fair trade goods, and how the system works. The producers make necklaces, bangles, carved stonework ornaments, embroidered textiles and silks and grow ginger for export to biscuit producers. The three centres visited were at Delhi, Cochin and Calcutta and at each place they met the artisans who made the goods.

Being part of the Fairtrade network, which now operates in many countries of the world, they were assured of a decent price for their labour. The support groups — which could be classed as middlemen but were in fact much more than that — organised the supply of raw materials, the transport of finished goods, the orders from abroad and looked after the welfare of the workers.

Health, education, housing and helping with other social benefits is provided by four organisations, SASHA, NAPCL, TARA and Manjeen, and all these trademarks and labels can be found on goods in fair trade outlets in this country.

There were so many benefits to being part of the Fairtrade movement that it was expanding all the time, he said.

Jill spoke of the interesting characters they met in the various villages and how their knowledge of India had increased by learning about Fairtrade, as well as visiting the usual sights including the Taj Mahal. Eden Fair Trade Network is now planning more events to promote Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from 28th February

Courtesy of the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald

Click here for more information about our India Highlights tour. You can also click here to see our photo gallery and here to read quotes from previous travellers.