Kojo and Paul were out and about in London's financial district on Monday. In the morning, they spoke at a well attended Business Breakfast at Guildhall, the old 15th century seat of government for the City of London.
At the event there was also a speaker from the Fairtrade Foundation, and someone from BT, who spoke about how they implemented Fairtrade purchasing across the company. Kojo and Paul spoke about the benefits of Fairtrade to cocoa farmers in Ghana, and about how Divine's unique farmer-owned model meant that they themselves received a share of the profits from Divine's first dividend last year.
Off to nearby St Mary le Bow Church on Cheapside for a lunchtime debate, organised by Trading Visions and Justshare. The farmers spoke alongside speakers from Divine, Tropical Wholefoods and Fairtrade Foundation, along with an academic and a sceptical business consultant. It was a lively debate with good audience participation, with wine and chocolate afterwards.
Paul and Kojo had time to visit St Paul's while they were in the City, climbing the great dome of one of the largest cathedrals in the world. They thought it was an amazing building and really enjoyed the bright February sunshine views across London, though they also found the wind rather cold!