Apart from a wide range of fair trade stalls, this year’s event, called “Spice Up Your Life,” includes free tasting of spice-based food and drink, two fair trade forums in English led by Italian fair trade expert Valeria Calamaro, and a live concert of ethnic music. Admission, to all events, is free of charge.

The ethnic music concert at 8pm will feature the sitar and didgeridoo music of Andrew Christie and Wailin Grech from Malta. The Congolese, Nigerian and Maltese musicians, singers and dancers of Kilimanjaro, will spice up the evening with a concert in which they will invite all those present to dance to their music. Kilimanjaro plays Afro-Cuban Music, Afro-Raga, Soukous, Rumba, Zouk, and Salsa. Those present can then taste specially made mulled wine for free in the main hall where the stalls will be open until 11pm.

This year’s special guest is Valeria Calamaro who has just published a book on recipes with fair-traded spices. She will be the guest speaker at two fair trade seminars starting at 10.30am and at 4pm in the Music Room at St. James Cavalier. Valeria Calamaro is the marketing manager for Fair Trade food products of CTM-Altromercato, the Italian partners of the Maltese fair trade cooperative and the second largest fair trade organization in Europe.

Throughout the day members of the Koperattiva Kummerc Gust shall be available for whoever wishes to discuss fair trade and acquire further information about fair trade products. Taste the World also serves as an ideal opportunity for those who would like to become members of Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, for those who believe in justice and equality and want to speak out loud in favour of fair trade.

Taste the World 2004 is being organized by the volunteers of Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, Malta’s sole fair trade co-operative, who run the world shop L-Arka in St. Paul’s Street, Valletta.

For more information write to [email protected] or phone L-Arka on 2124 4865. Taste the World is also featured on the KKG website at http://kkgmalta.cjb.net.