What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade seeks to transform the lives of poor producers in the developing world by enabling them to use their skills and resources to trade their way out of poverty.
Fairtrade means a fair price and decent working conditions for growers in the developing world, no child labour and no exploitation. It means that the people who grow the coffee and tea and other products we enjoy can eat every day, their children can attend school, they can afford medical care when needed. Instead of living in abject poverty, with illiteracy and high infant mortality, fairly paid workers can provide the basic necessities for their families. A Fairtrade premium is paid to the whole community and is used for projects such as the provision of clean water, a dispensary etc.
There are many Fairtrade products now available in our supermarkets each with the Fairtrade Mark. Buying just one of these products regularly makes a real difference.