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Fair Trade
Fair Trade is the January Focus PWRDF Family Calendar -- you can explore this important global concern with your family at any time of the year.
Fair Trade: Why do we need it?
To take cocoa as an example, 43% of the world’s cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast region of West Africa. There have been ongoing reports of child slavery and hazardous working conditions on cocoa plantations in this region. Many of these children work because the price paid for non-Fair Trade Certified cocoa is so low that farmers cannot afford to send their children to school. Cocoa farmers live in such poverty compared to Canadians that many have never even tasted the finished chocolate.
According to a recent report by the International Labour Organization, 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen are working worldwide, many in dangerous situations. While figures on child labour have recently gone down, there is still a lot of work to be done. Fair trade organizations play a pivotal role in this since they tackle the root of the problem: poverty.
“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.” --Nelson Mandela, February 3, 2005, YouTube video
According to a recent report by the International Labour Organization, 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen are working worldwide, many in dangerous situations. While figures on child labour have recently gone down, there is still a lot of work to be done. Fair trade organizations play a pivotal role in this since they tackle the root of the problem: poverty.
Fair Trade: Fair for Who?
Fair for everybody. The workers who make or grow the product are paid a fair wage and work in safe conditions. The companies who trade the products respect the workers, and receive a fair price for a quality product. The people who buy the products choose to pay a bit more to be able to connect their values with their everyday living and make a positive contribution. Even the earth is better off when environmental considerations are taken into account in the production of goods.
"We work for just trade because of the justice of God. God's justice creates and sustains the conditions for life. God has made an all-inclusive covenant with all creation. This covenant has been sealed by the gift of God's grace, a gift that is priceless, not for sale in the marketplace."(Preamble to "What Does God Require of Us ? A Declaration for Just Trade in the Service of An Economy of Life". May 2004)
Why is the Church Involved?
What does the Anglican Church say about it?
In 1998 The Council of General Synod passed a resolution to make an effort to ensure the use of fairly traded coffee/tea in all its activities and recommended the same to all committees. (Resolution: 49-03-98)
In 2004, the General Synod endorsed the document "What Does God Require of Us ? A Declaration for Just Trade in the Service of An Economy of Life". (May 2004, Act 74) The full declaration...
PWRDF Partner Profile: SPFTC
Many landless farmers in the central and southern parts of the Philippines are forced to give a third of their produce to a landowner in exchange for a small plot to work. The Southern Partners and Fair Trade Corporation (SPFTC) provides an alternative market for farmers and ensures them a fair price for their goods.
Why does PWRDF support it?
One of PWRDF's main objectives is to build a moral economy. We can see the value of fair trade over the years as our partners reap the benefits of fairly traded goods.
Both the Anglican Church of Canada and PWRDF work for justice in the global economy through KAIROS.
Learn More: Educational Resources
Learn more about why Fair Trade is needed and how Fair Trade impacts farmers, farm workers and the environment. Use the PWRDF fair trade brochure. E-mail PWRDF for copies.
Fair Trade Educational Toolkit
La Siembra Co-operative, based in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, now offers consumers across Canada fairly traded and organic chocolate, cocoa and sugar products marketed under the brand name Cocoa Camino. The collective has recently produced an educational toolkit for teachers and youth group leaders. Download the PDF version of the Toolkit.
Stop! Don’t Eat Me: A Story About Fair Trade for Kids (and Their Parents) by Naomi Poole (Ottawa: PeaceDiviners International Inc., 2004). Ten-year-old Bobby's mouth is watering to take a big bite of his chocolate bar. But before he gets there, the chocolate bar starts to speak to him! This book can be printed as a PDF version or ordered from PeaceDiviners International.
Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark Side of the World's Most Seductive Sweet
Investigative journalist, Carol Off has written this social history book. The older teens and adults in the family will find it an eye-opening account of the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry. Available through Random House.
Introduce Fair Trade in your community
What can one family do?
Introduce fair trade in one place in your community. As a family make a list of all the groups where you belong and the places in the community where you spend time. Choose one place that might be open to making regular use of a fair trade product -- a parent's workplace switch to fair trade coffee? A youth group sets up a fair trade hot chocolate booth? Decide as a family which project to take on. Talk together about who to approach and how to do it. Decide what you can do as a family to help the change happen.
What if it doesn't work?
If others don't share your interest for fair trade right away talk together about what you learned from your first try and how you might do it differently the next time. Give yourselves credit for going this far -- celebrate your efforts with some of your own fair trade chocolate!
What if it does work? Or is working already?
Once you are successful in one place -- try another! If you already have a lot of local options for fair trade see if you've got what it takes to mobilize your whole town as a Fair Trade Town -- see TransFair Canada for details. Join up with other families to tackle a bigger project.
Celebrate!
Switch up a Family Celebration
Consider how you could change your approach to one of your family celebrations -- a birthday party, valentine's day, Christmas -- by adding a fair trade twist.
Celebrate World Fair Trade Day
Each year, the second Saturday in May is celebrated around the globe as
World Fair Trade Day. This year’s theme, “Kids Need Fair Trade,” was focused
on the fact that fair trade helps protect children’s rights. World Fair Trade day website.
Share Your Story With PWRDF
Let us know what you are up to -- share what you are learning with us and celebrate your acheivements in the PWRDF community. We'd love to include your family story in our material.
Where to Find Fair Trade Products
Bridgehead Canada's first alternative trading organization is still going.
With an extensive mail order business. 
Ten Thousand Villages The Mennonite Central Committee has a large network of these fair-trade stores across the country. Visit the website for store locations, or to enquire about a visit to your community.
Fair Trademark Canada Licenses Canadian importer to sell certified products and provides information to companies and consumers. The website includes the requirements for using the trademark and information about where to find products.
Links for further information and action
Maquila Solidarity Network The Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) is a labour and women's rights organization that supports the efforts of workers in global supply chains to win improved wages and working conditions and a better quality of life.
