BECOMING A FAIRTRADE DIOCESE

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Fairtrade aims to address the plight of marginalised producers across the world by paying a price that more than covers the cost of production and is guaranteed not to fall below an agreed minimum, (so protecting from the volatility of world markets). Additionally, a premium is paid for investment in the community and contracts are longer term, often with part payment up front, to provide security and enable planning.

Fairtrade producers meet certain standards too. Producers must be organised democratically, such as in a co-operative, and achieve good labour standards (including no forced or child labour). Quality and environmental standards are also met, ensuring consumers are guaranteed high quality products.

Many Fairtrade products, especially food (such as tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, rice and pasta) carry the Fairtrade mark indicating certification by an independent Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (called the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK).

Producers that make crafts, jewellery and clothes are more difficult to assess in this way because product and processes are so varied. However, more informal guarantees can be provided by buying from a reputable trading organisation such as Traidcraft or Oxfam, or a shop registered with the British Association of Fairtrade Shops (see www.bafts.org.uk).

Why should churches support Fairtrade?

The Bible’s ‘bias to the poor’ is consistent with the Fairtrade principles of democracy, empowerment, equality, self-help, and mutual care:

• God’s Nature, with which Jesus identified himself, 'For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing." Isaiah 61:8 (also Isaiah 61:1-4 and Luke 4:16-21).
• Justice by Relationship not rules, see Deuteronomy and Leviticus concerning debt and the poverty which is responsible for it (Deuteronomy 24:6, 8-15, 17-21).
• Love Strangers (Deuteronomy 10:18 & 19) and conveyed by Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and the parable of the labourers (Matthew 20:1-16).

Trade Justice and ‘Make Poverty History’

Fairtrade forms one strand of the Trade Justice and Make Poverty History campaigns which call for global changes to international trade rules and agreements, which tend to favour richer countries and multinational companies to the detriment of the poor. For further explanation see Christian Aid’s report ‘Trade Justice: a Christian response to global poverty’ (Church House Publishing, 2004)

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