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Dunedin’s popular All Saints’ Fruit & Veges scheme is expanding its weekly offering to include Fairtrade goods.
All Saints’ Church Vicar Canon Dr Michael Wallace said the move was inspired by Fairtrade Fortnight, running across New Zealand and Australia from August 3-16, with the aim of highlighting ethical shopping, fair pay and sustainable farming.
“All Saints’ Church has been a Fairtrade parish for decades — we buy all of our tea, coffee, drinking chocolate and sugar through Trade Aid,” Dr Wallace said.
“So, this Fairtrade Fortnight, we have decided to offer a limited selection of those products to our All Saints’ Fruit & Veges customers, alongside our affordable produce.”
Dr Wallace said the products would be bought wholesale through the Trade Aid warehouse in Christchurch and offered alongside fruit, vegetables, local milk, eggs and honey each Thursday — starting August 13.
The products will be available at the All Saints’ sales table.
“The All Saints’ Fruit & Veges committee is delighted to offer Dunedin people the opportunity to pay producers a fair price, combat child labour, invest in communities, and protect the planet by buying Fairtrade goods.”
Dr Wallace said Dunedin supermarkets were doing a good job of offering Fairtrade goods, and encouraged shoppers to look out for them.
“Shopping ethically is a way for us all to play a part in protecting the planet and communities around the world — it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Dr Wallace said the All Saints’ Fruit & Veges scheme was going strong in its 11th year, providing low-cost, healthy produce to Dunedinites from all walks of life.
Founded in February, 2015, by All Saints’ Anglican Church, the not-for-profit project uses bulk-buying power to supply bargain-price fruit and vegetables to hundreds of households across the city each Thursday.
There are five volunteer-run distribution centres across the city, including Andersons Bay, St. Kilda, Caversham, North East Valley, Port Chalmers and Waitati.
Dr Wallace said customers could pre-order and pay online for fruit and vegetable bags in three sizes: single $4, couple $7 or family $14.
These could be picked up each Thursday at All Saints’ or one of the distribution centres, with some collected and delivered by volunteers for people with mobility issues.
Sales table sessions offering fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and honey, as well as Trade Aid products are held on Thursdays from 8.45am-10am, and 4pm-6pm, at All Saints’ hall, 786 Cumberland St.
Dr Wallace said volunteers had recently noticed an increase in the number of students, particularly international students, browsing the sales tables each week.
“They have really been enjoying the experience, which is nice to see,” he said.
It was also pleasing that local food banks were taking advantage of the bulk-buying power of the scheme to access low-cost produce for their food parcels.
“We are delighted to have that mutually supportive arrangement in place,” he said.
People interested in accessing the All Saints’ Fruit & Veges scheme can do so through the church website.