Fairtrade Fortnight is all about generating a global movement for change in concern to the unfair trade and working conditions of a large percentage of people across the world. According to the Fairtrade Foundation ‘two billion people - a third of humanity - still survive on less than $2 a day. Unfair trade rules keep them in poverty, but they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too.'

This year's Fairtrade Fortnight is about generating awareness on how, as consumers who buy many exported items every year (possibly without realising where exactly those items have been made) we can tip the balance of trade in favour of poor producers by choosing fairly traded goods.

The launch event for the fortnight is to be held at the Riverside walkway on the Southbank SE1 on Sunday 22 February from 11am to 4pm. It's a free, family event where anyone can compete in the programme of events to win a Fairtrade Chocolate Medal. Chocolate's a good enough excuse for me to compete!

Their will be loads of Fairtrade products on offer including some tasty treats that you could help create - how does making a fairtrade smoothie using your own pedal power sound?

For more information visit Fairtrade Fortnight.

Packaging in Japan is something else. Mini cakes are wrapped in a plastic based foil then placed in a plastic tray inside a box often made of - you guessed it - plastic. And these little cake creations are everywhere. The one shop where we found fresh produce that wasn't wrapped in layers of plastic was a small fruit shop devoted to selling apples in the small ski village of Nozawa Onsen. Other than the famous Tokyo Fish Market and a department store where a rockmelon cost the same as a bottle of Moet, this was the only non-packaged fresh produce we found.

Yodobashi, the mega electrical/camera shop, had one level devoted to advertising eco friendly washing machines was encouraging. Organic products were hard to find but then I'm spoilt for choice in London. We found one café called Thanks Nature and a travelling partner gave me an organic sugar sachet he'd taken from an organic café but that was about the only organic product to be found on the two-week trip.

A ride on the monorail gives you a sweeping view of Tokyo and it's apparent no expense or environmental consciousness was spared on building some of the most bold and light intensive architectural structures on the globe.

The highs and lows of Japan's eco-friendly efforts do vary somewhat from the EU but on the whole it's easy to see the planet is on the country's agenda.

A great little website illustrating Japan's eco credentials is Japan For Sustainability so if you're interested in visiting this beautiful country or want to poach ideas from how they're going green on the other side of the planet check it out.

I recently returned from a trip to Japan. It's a fascinating culture to say the least and what tickled my eco heart most was the opportunity to observe an eastern country's environmental efforts first hand. Here's a taste of what I found.

Recycling bins were everywhere and the Japanese are keen to oblige.

Both in the country and cities, Tokyo in particular, the streets are impeccably clean which is impressive considering a staggering 12 million or so dwell in the never ending inner city suburbs of the capital.

Most Japanese people use public transport or cycle. The cycling system is brilliant - cyclists ride on pathways that are divided and shared with pedestrians. London in comparison has fewer cycle ways but we do have more bike racks to lock our cycles up. That might be because no one locks their bike up in Japan. No one. Not a single lock or helmet to be seen. This doesn't feel like such a crazy concept when you're in the middle of this heaving yet curiously placid city - the traffic is relatively calm and the people more interested in keeping the peace than nicking your stuff. Travelling by bike makes sense. Few tourists can afford to catch taxis (at £20 for a few blocks) and a day pass on the metro is no cheaper than London (around £8) so it makes sense to bike it.

Whether you love it or loathe it Valentines Day comes along each year with a pocket full of posies and a hand full of heart shaped sweets. Any excuse is good enough to eat chocolates, fill a vase with beautiful flowers, or sink into a candle lit, oil scented bath... even a commercially cheesy one.

If you'd rather pamper your girlfriend or wife with ethical and organic gifts here's a few ideas. How about a Spa Towelling Robe made from organic and Fairtrade cotton or a set of three beautiful plant wax candles fragranced with essential oils. The Hedgerow Herbals Ooo! Gift box is also full of sensuous products for bath time fun including Queen of Sheba bath milk, Ooo for romance body soap and Ooo for romance massage oil - a kind of cheeky present if you plan on being the one massaged!

For the male partner here's a good excuse to convert him to go organic. The Go Organic for Men conversion kit has everything he needs to join the organic brigade including toothpaste, and toothbrush, shaving cream, soap, hair and body wash, deodorant and face moisturising balm. The Complete Men Spa Cool Lime Range contains organic products scented with juicy limes, cooling mint and the oil of green mandarins. There's also the sandalwood set for those who prefer more woody scent.

Have a loved up Valentine's Day all you organic sweet hearts!

Apparently we are buying more chocolate than ever to comfort ourselves amidst the dreary economic conditions facing us. But what of the farmers in Ghana or Nigeria, two of the top cocoa producing countries who are struggling to make ends meet in these times?

It takes from 300 to 600 cocoa beans to make a pound of chocolate. This is partly why cocoa farmers find it difficult to make a profit from cocoa beans, which consequently has led to an increase in child and even slave labour. Unfortunately the big brands can't guarantee the farms their cocoa beans are sourced from.

When in comes to chocolate the Fairtrade symbol holds so much weight when deciding which brand to buy. I know I'd rather comfort myself with a bit of the sweet stuff without the guilt and uncertainty of whether I had contributed to the suffering of a poor child.