DESPITE drinking six cups of coffee a day, Susanna Bevilacqua had never given much thought to where the beans that made up her favourite drink had come from.
When the North Fitzroy resident, 43, was introduced to the concept of Fair Trade, it not only changed her coffee habits, but her outlook on life. “I can’t believe that my drinking coffee and eating chocolate could have an effect on child labour and all those things,” she says.
Four years down the track, Bevilacqua and her friend Boby Vosinthavong are co-directors of Fair@Square, a Fair Trade festival now in its third year.
Fair Trade works with communities throughout developing countries to ensure workers get fair prices and work under decent conditions for their products. As well as producing stand-alone products, Fair Trade works with businesses and corporations around the world to ensure they too deal ethically with often disadvantaged people.
“I love the model because it’s not a charity, it’s a fair and ethical business model,’’ Bevilacqua says.
Vosinthavong was instrumental in educating Bevilacqua about the people who pick the coffee beans that go into her six cups a day.
“Her mum’s story is very inspiring,” Bevilacqua says of Vosinthavong. “Since 1976, she’s been running a Fair Trade company in Laos, working predominantly with women in the silk production industry. She started off with ten women – and now she has over 3000 under that umbrella.”
Across the festival’s three days, more than 60 stall holders will sell Fair Trade certified goods, including coffee and chocolate, and there will be speakers, a fashion parade and cooking displays.
Bevilacqua says the free event is the best way she and Vosinthavong could think of to educate people about Fair Trade.
“Each stall has a story to tell. There are some small businesses that are working directly with these women, and I think that’s fantastic. And then you get your larger businesses, who are making a difference for thousands of farmers.”
With more than 70,000 people expected to attend this year’s event, Bevilacqua admits the festival has grown faster than even she and Vosinthavong expected. But they’re now dreaming even bigger, and have plans to make Fair@Square a prominent national event.
“We often get feedback from people that they want to meet the producers, so we would like to really connect with our Asian partners and bring someone over, so they can talk to people at the festival, to let them know what Fair Trade really is,” she says. “A lot of people want to know where the products come from, and they care about the people who make them.
“Down the track, Fair Trade should be the norm, the way we simply do business.”
Fair@Square is on from December 2 to 4 at Federation Square. For more information, visit moralfairground.com.au/fairsquare .html
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