FAIRTRADE COFFEE WITH...
We shared a cup of Fairtrade coffee with Stina Dodds, PR Manager for Shared Interest, the world's only 100% fair trade lender, to find out more about the company, and what her views are for the future of the industry.
How did you get involved in the industry?
I have worked in PR for around nine years now, crossing over from the voluntary sector to the public and private sectors and back again but always with a strong focus on community and regeneration projects. It is definitely more satisfying to work for organisations that are genuinely making a difference to people’s lives.
I was running my own freelance business, focusing on arts, culture and lifestyle projects when the role at Shared Interest came along.
Through my interest in ethical fashion in particular, I already had a strong belief in the fair trade movement and was keen to be part of an organisation that could help show people we can all do something to improve trading conditions in the developing world.
The fact that Shared Interest is the world’s only 100% fair trade lender and was sat here on my doorstep, while I didn’t previously know of its existence, encouraged me all the more to take on what has turned out to be an inspiring and challenging role.
What you enjoy best about your job?
The fact that we have a genuine story to tell; as the sole PR Manager working to promote the work of an international organisation with regional offices in Costa Rica, Kenya and Peru, there is never a day goes by without me learning of another opportunity to illustrate the benefits of our lending. To be honest, it is nigh on impossible to have a bad day in the office here. This is partly due to the rewarding nature of our work, a dedicated team and a healthy life/work balance but also because it is pretty difficult to let anything get you down when you hear of the working conditions some people face in the developing world. When you have to walk two hours uphill in sweltering heat to access any type of service, or are rebuilding your business – literally – after a landslide during the rainy season, I guess then you can allow yourself a bad day. Overall, I would say what I enjoy most about working at Shared Interest is that it allows my mind to travel all over the world but keeps my feet firmly on the ground.
How you see the future of the fair trade sector?
With over 70% of the UK population now recognising the Fairtrade brand, I see fair trade becoming more and more mainstream. With brands like Cadbury and Starbucks both announcing that we can enjoy more of our everyday luxuries with a clear conscience, and stores like Topshop and asos stocking labels such as People Tree, I would say that the inspiration to lead a more ethical life is never very far away. Fair trade is infiltrating so many different areas of consumerism – from fashion to furniture and fruit juice to fine wines – that there is really no excuse for everyone to make at least one small change and introduce fair trade into their lives in some capacity.
What you would like to see change to improve communication to the general public?
I think that, where fair trade produce is stocked, it would be great if there was a simple, snappy explanation of what the Fairtrade mark means and the livelihoods it represents. How many people still walk past the shelves without knowing the difference they could make by spending that few extra pence? Especially in today’s economic climate, people are looking for cut price options when it comes to purchasing food in particular and it may help more shoppers to see that cheaper, less ethical products can in fact cost people dearly overseas, in far more than monetary terms. I strongly believe more people would choose Fairtrade if the basics behind the brand were in front of them when it counts – right when we are making that consumer choice at the checkout.
If people want to know more about Shared Interest, or would like us to visit their school, workplace or community group, all they have to do is ask. Our Supporter Relations Officer for the North is called Ruth Taylor and she can be contacted at ruth.taylor@shared-interest.com, while our Supporter Relations Officer for the South is Sally Reith at sally.reith@shared-interest.com. Our new website is currently under construction but you can still find out a lot about us at www.shared-interest.com, or call the main switchboard on 0191 233 91300.
