FAIRTRADE

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade does what it says on the label; it guarantees a better deal to producers in the developing world.
This means a stable price which covers their production costs, along with a premium that their organisation will be able to reinvest either in the business or social and environmental schemes among the wider community.
Too many farmers in the developing world have to contend with fluctuating prices that may not even cover what it costs to produce their crop.
So Fairtrade can make a big impact on their day-to-day life. And on their future and that of their family.
Find out more about Fair Trade and Traidcraft


The following is taken from a sermon by Reg Bailey, Chair, Traidcraft Foundation.
Clinging to our sense of fairness reveals how we misunderstand God’s ways. God’s kingdom is not based on what is fair but on what we need. We don’t need justice, we need grace. Grace that overlooks all we are and all we have done and said; grace that allows us to stand in line knowing that God will smile upon us.
The great secret of fair trade is that, in human terms, it actually isn’t fair at all! Fair trade is really about biased trade - trade that is biased to the poor, as God’s heart is biased to the poor. That is why fair trade is such a profoundly Christian response to world poverty. That is why fair trade shows God’s profound graciousness.
By making it possible for the poor and disadvantaged to compete in a world where otherwise they would fall by the wayside, fair trade is reflecting the nature of God. By taking account of people’s needs as well as their productivity in determining the price we pay for their goods, fair trade is putting into practice a Christian perspective of fairness that stands out against the harshness of human standards of fairness.
Whenever you go shopping, just remind yourself that here is another opportunity to answer God’s call to justice, righteousness and love. It may take a touch of mental gymnastics to see the door of your local supermarket as an entry into God’s kingdom, but in its own way that’s exactly what it is.