THIS year we are inviting people to ‘Come On In’ to Fairtrade and find out about the lives of the people who make the things we love to eat, drink and wear.

We want people to stop and think about the people behind the products they enjoy every day and find out how Fairtrade helps producers in developing countries.

It’s a sad fact that exploitation is still rife in our food chains. It’s not easy to think about but when you consider that one in three people in Kenya’s coffee and tea growing regions live in poverty or that the average cocoa farmer in Côte d’Ivoire lives on less than 40p a day. You can see that Fairtrade is as needed now as it ever was.

So, next time you buy a coffee or tuck into some delicious chocolate, pause for a second and think about where it came from; the farmers who grew the coffee beans or the cocoa and consider choosing Fairtrade to ensure they get a fair deal.

You can find out more about the work of Fairtrade at www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Cheryl McGechie, director of public engagement, The Fairtrade Foundation