This week sees the start of Tavistock's Fairtrade Fortnight with a young artists' competition and a town centre trail.

The event started yesterday (Monday February 27) and continues til Sunday, March 12.

The town is proud to have Fairtrade status, meaning it encourages shoppers buy Fairtrade products with the familiar logo. This will support fair trade with and between producers, such as farmers, who farm in a sustainable way, locally and across the world.

The theme of the event is asking people to consider making the switch to buying Fairtrade products which benefits producers in protecting the future of some of our most-loved foods such as coffee and chocolate, and of the natural world.

There are many natural products, including bananas, which are in danger of becoming much more expensive or difficult to buy because of climate change.

A Fairtrade Trail leaflet can be picked up at the visitor information centre, Tavistock Library and participating businesses. such as: Swan's Nest and Mime Cafe in Paddon's Row, Rainbow Nation on Brook Street, Flapjackery, Neal's Yard, House of Cards and the Gift Gallery on Duke Street, Dot's Teas and De La Torres in the Pannier Market and the Bedford Hotel.

The leaflet is also available to be downloaded online at www.visit-tavistock.co.uk/fairtrade.

The trail includes questions such as in which country are most of the world's hand-stitched footballs made?, in which part of the world did coffee originate? which Fairtrade products can be found in Swan's Nest in Paddon's Row and which Fairtrade products can be identified in the Gift Gallery.

Anyone finding all the answers will be entered into a prize draw to win a box of Fairtrade goodies.

Meanwhile, a children's and young person's art competition is also launched with the theme 'what does Fairtrade mean to you?' Entry forms can be collected in Tavistock Library. Entries should be submitted to the library by Monday February 6. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 10 and entries will be exhibited at the library.