Home Truth

“Just a spoonful of Fairtrade sugar makes the world a fairer place.” according to the Fairtrade Foundation. I don’t know about just a spoonful - since I’ve been baking regularly, I’ve been getting through sugar mountains. All sorts - raw cane, golden caster, Demerara, Muscovado - in all sorts of yummy recipes (see below*).

During the celebrations of the abolition of the slave trade 200 years ago, which took place earlier this year, I saw a great documentary about a black Londoner tracing his roots back to Nigeria via the sugar plantations of the West Indies. A fascinating story with a far from straightforward outcome. Of course, the most ironic thing is that many are still enslaved by sugar production around the world today. Exactly what the Stop the Traffik! Campaign has been aiming to highlight.

That’s why fairly traded sugar is so important. Traidcraft’s sugar is mainly sourced from Craft Aid in Mauritius, providing work for disabled people. Malawi, Paraguay and Costa Rica also harvest sugar cane for the fair trade market.

A spoonful of sugar in your tea or a sprinkling on your strawberries will help. Baking with fair trade sugars will help more. Buying biscuits, snack bars, confectionery and chocolate made with fairly traded sugar and bearing the fair trade mark will help even more.

I’m waiting impatiently for the production of fair trade golden syrup. Anyone out there got any plans to bring some to our supermarket shelves? There’s definitely a market for it - me, me, me!

Recipe - Apple Cake

• 200g self raising flour
• 100g margarine
• 100g fair trade caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 200g peeled fair trade apples
• Milk to mix
• 1 tbsp fair trade Demerara sugar

1. Rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs.

2. Add the sugar and the egg.

3. Dice the apple and add it to the mixture.

4. Stir in enough mild to give a slow dropping consistency.

5. Put into an 18cm greased cake tin.

6. Bake for one hour in a moderately hot oven (400F, 200C, Gas Mark 6).

7. Turn out carefully and top with Demerara sugar.

8. Put in cupboard for treats for all the family. Avoid putting anywhere Gadget Man might find them when he’s searching the cupboards for a late night snack!

Filed under: fair trade, cooking on June 17th, 2007