Fairtrade and Christian Aid

Christian Aid has been a big part of the Fairtrade movement.

Fairtrade logo In 1992 we helped set up the Fairtrade Foundation, sharing a vision with other likeminded organisations to create a world in which sustainable development, not greed, lies at the heart of trade structures.

Since then, the movement has grown from strength to strength and Fairtrade is now the number one ethical choice for shoppers, with £799 million being spent on Fairtrade products in the UK in 2009.

Farmers in 55 countries around the world sell over an impressive 7,235 Fairtrade certified products to the UK – and this figure is still on the up.

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is a great way of using markets to tackle poverty, allowing people in developing countries to earn a fair, decent living.

A product, such as coffee, chocolate or wine, is certified ‘Fairtrade’ when a fair price has been paid to the producer or farmer. This price has to be equal to, or above, the Fairtrade minimum price set by the Fairtrade Foundation. These prices never fall below the market value.

The southern producer is also required to commit to improving working conditions and to take into consideration both the social and environmental impact of their commodity.

In addition to this, a Fairtrade premium is also paid to the farmers to invest back into the community; it can be used for things such as building schools or health clinics.

Find out more about Fairtrade and Fairtrade products on the Fairtrade Foundation website.

Fairtrade facts n' figures

1 in 4 bananas sold in the UK are now Fairtrade.
Annual sales of Fairtrade certified cotton had reached £7.79 million in 2008.
More than 7.5 million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from Fairtrade - farmers, farm workers, and their families.
The Fairtrade premium - an additional sum for community development - has been used for many community projects including, building schools and medical clinics, providing clean drinking water and conversion schemes to help farmers work for the future.
The first Fairtrade label, formed in the Netherlands in 1988, was named Max Havelaar after a character from Dutch fiction who stood against the exploitation of coffee growers.

Source: www.fairtrade.org.uk