Lister

By Kerstin Bruun-Hansen
Translated by Tanja Cim Olesen

”Solar drive on top,” says the sign on the Ben & Jerry ice cream stand at the Odeon-stage. The sign reveals that the ice cream stand is not quite ordinary. The small stand, which is covered in grass-green felt and a vast number of artificial flowers, is driven by solar energy and sells Max Havelaar-trademark ice cream.

Entertaining environmental messages

And the ice cream stand is not the only stand in the area that has special focus on our common future. Around the Odeon you can buy organic hotdogs, cocktails and coffee, among other things – all of it in the knowledge that the workers in faraway countries have proper working conditions and get a fair price for their products.

All these politically correct products can be consumed at tables and chairs made of compressed recycled cardboard wrapped in plastic. If you are bored during the meal you can even let yourself be entertained by the messages and advice on protecting the environment, displayed under the wrapping.

Fair trade is not new or area specific

Although fair trade and sustainability have obtained extra focus on this year’s Roskilde Festival, the commitment is neither new nor limited to the area around Odeon.

All around the site you can buy fair trade-products such as red wine, chocolate and smoothies, and the 2.5 tonnes of coffee that are consumed each year on the Roskilde Festival have been traded based on fair trade principles for years.