Food shopping these days can seem like negotiating your way through an ethical minefield. Should you buy cheap food and ignore animal welfare issues, go organic to avoid pesticides, or low fat to avoid obesity?
The guilt list seems endless, but buying food with a Fairtrade mark could be one way to ease your conscience.
The logo is an independent guarantee that disadvantaged people in the developing world who produce your food are getting a good deal.
This year, well-known chef Sophie Grigson has edited a new book, The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook, to support the campaign. It's filled with recipes using Fairtrade ingredients, created by aspiring cooks nationwide, as well as celebrities.
Sophie says: "The Fairtrade movement has come a long, long way in the past few decades. It's spreading and growing and drawing in more producers, and, as importantly, more consumers. People are realising that buying Fairtrade ingredients is a small way to make a big difference.
"Not only do you and I get something good to cook with and eat or drink, but someone else, the person who put in all the work growing or making that item, gets a decent wage. In short, a win-win situation."
But isn't that always the case anyway? No, says Sophie, but for the public "it comes as something of a shock to discover that this perfectly fair assumption is often wrong".
Under Fairtrade, producers receive a minimum price to cover the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects.
An increasing range of Fairtrade food - not just the original pioneers, coffee and tea and chocolate, but latest additions such as fruit, spices, biscuits, vegetables and jams - is now available at a variety of shops and supermarkets.
Inspired by the food from this region, Sainsbury's are passing on some traditional recipes for St Lucian Banana Crumble and St Lucian Banana Bread so you can cook up a Carribean storm using Fairtrade ingredients.
Sir Steve Redgrave reveals his favourite pasta dish, Baked Penne With Dolcelatte Cheese and Radicchio, also using key Fairtrade goodies.
- The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook, consultant editor Sophie Grigson, is published by Dorling Kindersley, £16.99. Out now. Visit fair-trade.org.uk for further information.
St Lucian Banana Crumble - Serves 4
6 ripe Fairtrade bananas, peeled and roughly chopped
1tsp juice from a Fairtrade lemon
3 oranges, juice from 3, zest of 1
tsp ground cinnamon
50g Fairtrade caster sugar
1tbsp Fairtrade rum
For the crumble topping:
150g plain flour, sifted
75g butter
50g Fairtrade granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Lightly butter a 1-litre oven-proof dish.
Place lemon juice, orange juice, most of the orange zest, cinnamon and caster sugar in a large frying pan. Heat and gently poach bananas 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with rum and spoon the mixture into the prepared dish.
For the crumble topping rub the butter into the flour and stir in the sugar. Sprinkle over the banana mixture to cover completely. Bake for 20 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. To serve, sprinkle over the remaining orange zest and eat topped with cream.
St Lucian Banana Bread - Serves 8-10
100g butter, softened
225g Fairtrade caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
4 Fairtrade bananas, peeled and thoroughly mashed
225g plain flour, sifted
2tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
50g shelled walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4.
Grease and line a 20 x 12cm loaf tin.
Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, then gradually stir in the eggs until fully incorporated.
Stir the mashed bananas with the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended, then fold in the nuts.
Spoon into a prepared tin and bake for an hour to 1 hour 20 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve in slices.
Baked Penne with Docelatte Cheese and Radicchio - Serves 4
50g (1.75oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
250g (9oz) dried penne rigate
250g (9oz) button mushrooms, sliced
1 Fairtrade red pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 small head of radicchio, weighing 250-275g (9-10oz), cored and finely shredded
250ml (8floz) double cream
50g (1.75oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
175g (6oz) Dolcelatte cheese, cubed
Salt & freshly ground Fairtrade black pepper
Fresh sage leaves, to garnish
Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
Preheat oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Butter a 23 x 28cm (9x11) ovenproof dish and set aside. When the water boils add the pasta and cook until just al dente.
Melt butter in a large frying pan meanwhile, and fry mushrooms, pepper and garlic for about five minutes until softened. Stir in sage and radicchio, remove pan from heat.
Combine the cream, Parmesan and Dolcelatte in a very large bowl, set aside. When pasta has cooked drain thoroughly.
Add the mushroom mixture and the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Transfer the mixture to the ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbly. Garnish with the fresh sage leaves to serve.
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