Fair trade food is a consumer choice. But why should a fair deal for poor producers be an optional extra? Help make fair trade mainstream, available everywhere and integral to the way the world does trade.
Campaigning for trade justice can exist on many levels: from meeting with your MP to discuss his/her stance on world trade laws, to the ten seconds it takes to choose a chocolate bar (ok – that can take half-an-hour on a bad day). Choosing fair trade products when you shop – and encouraging others to choose them too – is a simple way to adopt practical compassion for the poor into your lifestyle.
So how can you spot a fair trade product in a crowd? Well, there are the sweet cries of justice calling ‘buy me’ from the shelf – but let’s face it, most food cries ‘buy me’ and it’s hard to pick out the fair bits. The only sure-fire way is to buy things bearing the Fairtrade Mark, an independent consumer label which guarantees a better deal for workers and producers from poor countries. Small-scale farmers can participate in a democratic organisation, whereas plantation and factory workers can be part of a trade union and have decent wages, housing and health and safety standards. The Fairtrade Mark means that no child or forced labour has taken place, and that programmes for environmental sustainability are being developed. In trading terms, the Fairtrade Mark ensures that the price covers the cost of production, and that producers are paid in advance to prevent them falling into debt. Fairtrade gives producers a social premium to improve their living and working conditions, and guarantees contracts to allow long-term planning and sustainable production practices.
Lift the Label Action!
The Lift the Label action encourages you to campaign for Fairtrade products to be available in your school or uni.
GET YOUR SCHOOL TO GO FAIRTRADE!