Fairtrade Fortnight
This week sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, helping raise awareness of the Fairtrade brand and the benefits it has brought to workers in developing countries. Sales of Fairtrade goods have gone from strength to strength, growing on average by 40% per year, while the worldwide market for Fairtrade goods is seventy times as large as it was ten years ago.
This trend of ethical shopping reflects a growing awareness of development issues and a desire to influence positive change. Fairtrade goods ensure a fair deal for producers through a guaranteed price and that social and environmental standards are met. The ‘Fairtrade premium’, which is the money paid on top of the minimum price for the product, is reinvested in local development projects, decided upon democratically by the workers themselves. In developing countries, Fairtrade has made huge strides in improving pay, living conditions and opportunities whilst putting local communities in the driving seat.
Trade plays a crucial role in sustainable development. As well as committing significant resources to ethical trading initiatives such as Fairtrade, the Government has led international efforts to secure fairer trading rules. The ‘Aid for Trade’ initiative helps developing countries build their trading capacities, and will receive over £400m a year from the Government by 2010.
At its heart, Fairtrade is about empowering workers in the developing world. Visit the Fairtrade foundation’s website and watch the short film above, from South Africa, to find out more about the gains it can bring.
