Food
and drink
Organic, Local Produced Food
Although originally considered simply a passing whim, organic items now
represent 3% of the food market. Serve food that takes into account
considerations like sustainability, ethical trade and local sourcing.
Coffee-Time
There is coffee, and there is coffee that is supplied from growers who
respect agreed environmental and social standards and the actions of
whom are fully authenticated. Coffee served in your selected conference
hotels and venues might or might not currently reach such sourcing
criteria, but the question can be raised. Another option is to look
out for Fairtrade labelling which offers the reassurance that small-scale
producers (coffee, chocolate, tea etc.) are helped through direct purchasing
arrangements (www.fairtrade.org.uk).
AMT coffee outlets around the UK are 100% fairtrade coffee (www.amtcoffee.co.uk),
but note that some coffee shops offer only the option of Fairtrade
beverages. Bettys Café Tearooms in Yorkshire operate a Trees for Life
programme to ‘give back’ to the communities providing their tea and
coffee, and have to date planted (mainly through Oxfam) nearly three
million trees in Africa, Asia and Central/Latin America. Bettys also
supports woodland initiatives in Yorkshire (www.bettys.co.uk).
There are now over 150 Fairtrade Towns in the UK in which a considerable
proportion of cafés, shops etc. offer Fairtrade products (www.fairtrade.org.uk).
This country is the global leader on commitment to Fairtrade.
Call us now on 01323 644644 or email info@confpeople.co.uk
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