As Fairtrade Fortnight begins, the Fairtrade Foundation is delighted to announce that drinks expert, presenter, and lifestyle journalist Aleesha Hansel is joining the charity as a Fairtrade ambassador.
Aleesha is passionate about sustainability, trade justice, women’s rights and diversity. She is also an advocate on the importance of inclusion for marginalised individuals and communities.
Commitment to sustainability
Starting her career as a journalist, Aleesha has become a successful wine writer and presenter. Currently, she is the resident wine expert on ITV’s Sunday morning show Love your Weekend. She regularly writes for national publications such as Tatler, Red, The Independent, Ocado Life and Decanter.
In 2022, Aleesha was announced as a UN Women UK delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women, with a focus on the environment and climate change.
This reflects her longstanding commitment to sustainability. It also followed a campaign she spearheaded to highlight the unnecessary weight of heavy glass wine bottles, the production and transportation of which is the wine industry’s biggest contribution to climate change.
Working together to make the world a fairer place is something I can wholeheartedly throw my support behind.
Aleesha Hansel
Speaking on her new role, Aleesha Hansel, said: “While the nature of our challenges differ, I am personally aware of the difficulties facing those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as I hold the dubious honour of being the first wine writer of Black heritage in the UK alongside being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“Working together to make the world a fairer place is something I can wholeheartedly throw my support behind, which is why I’m extremely proud to be named as a Fairtrade Foundation ambassador.”
More about Aleesha
Aleesha was shortlisted for the IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year Award 2022 and won the inaugural Louis Roederer BAME Bursary in 2020, She has been a judge at the annual Decanter World Wine Awards since 2021. Additionally, Aleesha delivers creative content and wine tastings for brands and clients in-person or online.
Based in London, Aleesha is a familiar name in both the broadcast and publishing worlds: she is a contributor to BBC Radio 4, BBC London, ITV News at 10, the SheerLuxe Show on YouTube, and CGTN. Her recent writing highlights include an interview with actor and activist Idris Elba for National Geographic Traveller Food.
Aleesha attended The Endangered Aisle on 27 February, a pop-up experience created by the Fairtrade Foundation in Shoreditch, which is open to the public until 2 March 2023. The Endangered Aisle shines a light on the supermarket staples most at risk of becoming endangered from the climate crisis, including coffee, bananas and chocolate.
Read more about The Endangered Aisle.
Aleesha continues: ‘To me, striving for a world in which farmers can earn a sustainable living is both common sense and the decent thing to do. Beyond just making sure workers earn a fair wage, with Fairtrade’s support, communities are equipped not only to deal with issues directly related to agriculture, but with rippling and further reaching ones, like gender equality, education, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices at work and at home.’
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More information
For more information, interviews and images, contact Mollie Letheren Smith via:
• Email: mollie.letherensmith@fairtrade.org.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0)7467 373981.
Aleesha Hansel
Find Aleesha on Instagram and Twitter.
Read more on Aleesha’s website.
Notes to editors
About the Fairtrade Foundation
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in low-income countries. Fairtrade Foundation is part of Fairtrade International, an independent non-profit organisation representing 1.9 million small-scale farmers and workers worldwide.
Fairtrade Fortnight
The two-week annual celebrity-backed campaign Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 27 February – 12 March. Hundreds of exciting events will be taking place, organised by Fairtrade supporters and ethical shoppers in local communities who are committed to campaigning for social justice.
More about Fairtrade Fortnight.