OFTEN 2010
Organic and fair trade produce have never found a proper footing in Hong Kong. Perhaps it’s because we still associate organic with granola-chomping hippies, or just that it’s more expensive. The market for such products in our city lags behind other countries in the region such as Japan and Taiwan. Started by a group of friends, Chopsticks Company works hard to encourage more Hongkongers to live green, starting with the city’s first Organic, Fair Trade, Environmental Friendly Fair & Music Show (OFTEN). on Saturday 20.
“We can’t simply tell people they should eat fair trade and organic products,” says Ida Wong of Chopsticks. “We have to be creative to inspire others to do so, which is why we’re organising OFTEN and have invited artists and musicians to be a part of it.”
The biggest barrier preventing people from switching to organic is education, Wong says. “People don’t know why they should eat organic food, they know little about the benefits of protecting your health and being eco-friendly. Others don’t understand why fair trade and organic food is more costly, and think it’s just a business trend and money-making exercise.” Chopsticks hopes to increase public awareness of such issues through a bottom-up operation. They also look to encourage other countries in the region to follow suit by developing a successful business model that adheres to the principles of organic, free trade and sustainability.
Through the OFTEN event, organisers want to demonstrate how easy it is to live green and help the public to better understand the values of fair trade and sustainability. Activities include demos on making homemade organic tofu and organic soap, and a nutrition talk on food labelling traps. Local bands including Velvette Vendetta and Time Out favourites Chochukmo will also be performing.
Alice Chan
OFTEN will be held on Saturday 20, 10am-10pm at Cyberport. Tickets are $40 (10% of ticket sales will go to Oxfam and WWF), children under 12 and the elderly over 65 are free. For more information, go to www.chopsticks-co.com/often2010.
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