Thought for the day
Learning from the wider world – Fair Trade for all? 7th – 11th February 2011
Assembly 1 Thoughts in forms Thoughts in forms
This is preliminary to a closer look at Fair Trade in March to Colin Firth is a well known actor, currently being thought Emma Thompson, another well known actor, says:
co-incide with Fair Trade fortnight across the UK. We want of for an Oscar for his part in „The King‟s Speech.‟ This
to introduce the idea to students, so that we can prepare is what he has to say about Fair Trade: “When you buy Fair Trade products you can guarantee
that the farmers who have worked hard to grow them get
for the more detailed look later. “When I visited coffee farms in Ethiopia, the farmers a minimum price. Fair Trade is a way of giving regular
could not believe that we spend what would be a week‟s support – and enjoying delicious high quality food at the
wages in their country on one cup of coffee in ours. same time. “
They see so little of the profits. Oxfam‟s Fair Trade
Campaign helps to right this wrong.” She does not mean that we just pay them the minimum
price – but they know that they will get no less than a
So: is this a „wrong‟? What can be done to put it right? decent going rate. Why does she think this is important?
*
So what does it feel like to be a farmer working
differently because of Fair Trade?
“Thanks to Fair Trade, we will not die of hunger. We will
This is the logo of the Fair Trade organisation, and it is clear not lose our land. Our children can attend school. I want
what it sets out to achieve. to send thanks to all of the churches that buy our coffee.
Thanks to you, we have a seed of hope in our lives.” It’s the 28th February till the 13th March.
We recognise that global trade presents significant Have a look at www.fairtrade.org.uk
advantages to some – but disadvantages to others. Those Jose Luis Castillo Vasquez Las Colinas Co-operative
others often produce the everyday things that we wish to El Salvador, South America
Assembly 2
be able to buy cheaply – yet their very cheapness means
that those who produce them are not earning enough even Blessed are all who fear the Lord – who walk in his ways
to live. You will eat the fruit of your labour; blessings and
prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128 verses 1-2
But maybe we do not even think about it when we buy
things from the shops? We may see images of working Work and justice, work and goodness, work and faith –
children, or of farmers in the Developing World – but we these pairings are very important. Fair Trade is about
do not readily link that to our own day to day experience. Is bringing more goodness into the tradings and dealings
the school dining hall a place which deals with Fair Trade of the world, about ending exploitation, about allowing
products? We think so – and the city centre fast food everyone to enjoy the proper benefits of their work.
outlets? And the clothing shops we use?
* Here‟s a thought: why do we label things that are Fair People become great exactly in the degree in which they
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you Trade? Perhaps we should do it the other way round: we work for the welfare of their fellow human beings.
were doing the work for God Himself...” should label anything which exploits its producers as Mohandas Gandhi
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians Ch 2 vs 23 „Unfair Trade” ! How would we feel about that?