Sandhurst Fairtrade Group

FAIRTADE FASHION SHOW October 17th, at St Michael’s Church Pastoral Centre, 8pm, tickets on sale early September price £6

What is Fairtrade?

When commodity prices fall dramatically it has a catastrophic impact on the lives of millions of small scale producers, forcing many into crippling debt and countless others to lose their land and their homes.

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.

By buying direct from farmers at better prices, it helps to strengthen their organisations and they can receive help with marketing their produce.

The Fairtrade Foundation licenses companies to use the FAIRTRADE Mark on specific products, which meet international Fairtrade standards. This is called "FLO" accreditation: (Fairtrade Labelling Organisation). Some companies sell only Fairtrade products while others have one or two Fairtrade lines. The FAIRTRADE Mark is used in 20 countries across the globe.

The Fairtrade Mark guarantees …

• to pay producers a price, which covers the cost of sustainable production, and reflect the true cost.
• a premium for community development. This helps to provide education and basic health facilities, and laying on electricity and water to homes.
• partial payments in advance, allowing seeds to be bought and workers to be paid
• long-term contracts which benefit long term planning.
• that minimum health and safety standards are adhered to, and there is no child labour.

Some Fairtrade companies offer business training, and product development advice. *

Produce is often organically grown, avoiding the risks that pesticides and harmful chemicals have on health, which banana farmers, among others, have suffered from. Products may cost more but you will be sure that the people who produced them were not exploited and a fair price has been paid.

*www.traidcraft.co.uk; www.cafedirect.co.uk; www.twin.org.uk; www.divinechocolate.com; www.agrofair.org; www.equalexchange.co.uk; and www.thandi.com.