Fairtrade

As part of our Eco journey and caring for God’s planet, we are asked to consider the principles of LOAF (Local, Organic, Animal Friendly and Fairtrade). We can choose to do this as individuals of course, but as a church we can play our part by encouraging our church family to especially think about this when purchasing food items to be used at church.
As part of LOAF, Fairtrade is an important matter and we have committed to being a Fairtrade Church but what does Fairtrade actually mean, and how does it help the people of God’s earth?
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for the farmers and workers around the world, but particularly those in lower income countries. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminate against the producers from low-income countries. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
Whenever we buy goods, the money we spend is split across the supplier chain - from the producer to those who sell the products. Fairtrade makes sure that the money is shared fairly across the chain, as well as resulting in a fair price for us, the consumers.  It is good to know that workers have safe working conditions and are being treated well. There are now thousands of products which have received the Fairtrade certification mark. Churches have been at the forefront of promoting fair trade products for decades, making the connection between trade and poverty and committing to using fairly traded goods such as tea, coffee and sugar. Making a public statement about become a ‘Fairtrade Church’ adds weight to those involved in the conversation about justice for the farmers and all the workers on whose efforts we rely.