Do you know where your wedding food's coming from?

You're no doubt busy planning your picture-perfect day and are working on your catering, be it a sit-down five-course extravaganza or street food stalls packed with a variety of options. But do you know where the ingredients have actually come from?

If the answer's "no" then you're not alone, with more than half of shoppers in the North East unaware of exploitation of food and drink producers in developing countries.

The survey, commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation, showed that 55% of shoppers are not aware of exploitation of food and drink producers in developing countries, 36% of respondents were put off by “too expensive” ethical products and 36% of consumers “never” think about the people who produce their food. The new research has shown that 92.7% of shoppers in the North East think quality of products is an important factor when considering where to shop. This is followed by the price (86.7%), the location (69.9%) and then the ethical credentials of the store (51.8%).

When it comes to the Fairtrade products that we are buying, the top most purchased is – unsurprisingly – bananas with 42.2% of us buying them. Second is coffee at 37.3% and third is tea at 32.5%. With banana sales in the UK expected to reach 820,000 tonnes this year (that's over 1,500 Boeing 747s), can more be done to encourage Brits to buy Fairtrade?

The research was released to mark the start of the Fairtrade Fortnight “Come On In” campaign, inviting members of the public to “come on in” to Fairtrade and experience the world of the people who produce the things we love to eat, drink, and wear.

The campaign will also explore how businesses, farmers, workers and shoppers come together through Fairtrade to break the stranglehold of poverty prices.

Want to do your bit? Ask your wedding caterer if they know where their food comes from and find out more at https://www.fairtrade.org.uk