Fairtrade Fortnight gets under way in Sidmouth next week – with a wide range of events and activities designed to promote better prices and working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

The Sidmouth Fairtrade Group has organised three children’s competitions to get young people involved, featuring poetry and rap, writing and art. East Devon MP Simon Jupp will be among the competition judges along with a local poet and novelist.

The group plans to make a renewed effort to raise awareness of the Fairtrade message in the coming weeks. They are encouraged that more and more Sidmouth shops and hospitality businesses are stocking Fairtrade products and backing the movement.

Deirdre Hounsom, Fairtrade rep on Sidmouth Town Council, said a well-supported Zoom call on Tuesday this week enabled those who attended to see a presentation from a Fairtrade banana grower in the Caribbean and understand better the challenges that growers face.

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from February 22 to March 8. The East Devon for a Fairer World Group is backing the initiative.

A spokesman said: “This year when there seems so little we can do in the face of huge global problems we can choose to buy products with the Fairtrade mark – for example at the Co-op in Honiton and Sidmouth, at Waitrose in Sidmouth and online at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk