Fairtrade Fortnight begins next week and local campaigners are encouraging the residents of Dacorum to get involved.

The theme of this year's fortnight is "change today, choose fairtrade" and it hopes to make people more aware of where the products they buy come from.

Francois Henderson, of the Dacorum Fairtrade Group said it was vital that people got the message about how important fairtrade is.

He said: "We want people to recognise the Fairtrade mark as something they can trust that will directly make a difference to the lives of the producers.

"The symbol is a producer waving at you from the other side of the world. You are helping a whole community by buying Fairtrade products."

Mr Henderson added that when you buy a Fairtrade product the producers get paid above the market price and get a dividend which can help the producers' whole community to fund clean water, medicines, education, roads and numerous other things.

He said: "If shoppers just make a little change in their shopping habits and try this brand instead of that brand it'll make a tremendous difference.

"Fairtrade and quality products go hand in hand and it's worth the price to know it's going to help a whole community."

The first event of the fortnight takes place on Saturday at Tring's Community Fair at Tring School where Fairtrade Dacorum will have a stall.

On Wednesday February 27 there will be a Fairtrade lunch at the Court House in Berkhamsted between 12pm and 2pm , open to everyone to come and try Fairtrade products.

There will also be a stall at the Berkhamsted Community Fair on Saturday March 3 at the Civic Centre and a stall outside the town hall for the duration of the fortnight.

Supermarkets are also involved with in-store promotions taking place on Thursday March 1 at Asda in Hemel Hempstead, Friday March 2 at Waitrose in Berkhamsted, Saturday March 3 at Tescos in Hemel Hempstead and Saturday March 10 at Sainsbury in Apsley.

To keep up to date with all the other dates planned for the next two weeks visit www.dacorumfairtrade.org.uk.