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ContentsPreface 3Introduction 5

Step 1 - Complete Novice 7What is Fairtrade? 9How do you recognise Fairtrade products? 9

What does it promise? 9Fairtrade Premium 10What makes different from other ethical logos? 10

What is the Fairtrade Foundation? 11What is a Fairtrade Church? 13Why become a Fairtrade Church? 13Why become a Fairtrade Diocese? 14What is a Fairtrade Diocese? 14 15Step 2 -Becoming a Fairtrade Church 15

What is the point of all this? 17Requirements for becoming a Fairtrade Church. 17What should we actually do? 18What is “Traidcraft”? 21

Other possible sources of worship materials include 21

Step 3 -Taking Fairtrade beyond the Church doors 23Starting a Fairtrade/Traidcraft stall 25My suggestions for starting a stall 28Other ways of stepping out for Fairtrade 29

Step 4 -Refreshing the vision/Not all Fairtrade is equal 31

Step 5 - Campaigning 38

Frequently asked questions 42

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PrefaceThe Rt Rev Peter HancockBishop of Bath and WellsThe Palace, Wells, Somerset BA5 2PD

Dear Deanery Fairtrade Reps

I am delighted that the resolution to become a FairtradeDiocese was passed by the Bath & Wells Synod in 2010,as part of campaign based on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. The aim to reach this target was2015.I have always been a supporter of Fairtrade and theFairtrade objectives of just treatment of small producersand so I wish to give my support to the final push toachieve this demanding target. I know from first handfrom my experience of witnessing poverty in West Africathe importance of empowering people to work toprogress themselves. An assured income from Fairtradehelps them do this.As a wealthy nation which benefits from food from allover the world, we need to reach out and support thosein need.To achieve Fairtrade status as a Diocese, we need to have at least 50% of Churchesregistered as Fairtrade. This is a key stepping stone in the process, but is not the endpoint:

· many churches are already registered· many may feel they are Fairtrade but are not formally registered· some may feel that they cannot be registered

I want to encourage every church to use this handbook to take further steps forward. Thishandbook aims to challenge and encourage all Churches in the Diocese, wherever they areon their Fairtrade Journey to take further steps forward. I urge you all to make good use of it.

With warm Christian greetings

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Introduction

The Diocese of Bath & Wells voted at Synod in 2010 to move towardsbecoming registered as a “Fairtrade Denominational Area”. The target datewas set as 2015. Many Churches in the Diocese are already registered asFairtrade and others may well considered themselves to be Fairtrade withouthaving gone through the formal registration process. This booklet aims to helpChurches refresh and refocus their efforts in this process in order to enablethe Diocese to achieve its objective of becoming a Fairtrade registered. It iswritten for clergy, lay personnel and other members of the congregation;anyone who is interested in Fairtrade and wants to encourage support fromothers.

Very little of this booklet is original material. It is a compilation of resourcesfrom the Fairtrade Foundation,Traidcraft and other sources. Even the style ofpresentation is an amalgamation of the Fairtrade Fortnight 2013 material, aleaflet from Sally Farrant at Exeter Diocese and “The Jolly Postman” by AllanAhlberg. I have added comments based on my own experience and wouldencourage your Deanery, Church or individuals to add notes and presscuttings. My suggestion for how to use this booklet is to decide where you areas a Church in your Fairtrade journey and then explore the resource materialsto judge if you can take the next step. Thus it is hoped that Parishes,Benefices, Deaneries and the Diocesan hierarchy can journey together to thegoal of becoming a Fairtrade registered Diocese.

This second 2015 edition of this Handbook has been produced in order toinclude current information for web-sites and brochures. As well as theHandbook itself, more information including news items are available on therecently re-launched Diocesan website (http://www.bathandwells.org.uk/).

Jane Canning (jfcanning@btinternet.com)

Bath and Wells Diocesan Champion

February 2015

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Step 1 - CompleteNovice

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What is Fairtrade?“Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms oftrade for farmers and workers.

It’s about supporting the development of thriving farming and workercommunities that have more control over their futures and protecting theenvironment in which they live and work.

And it’s your opportunity to connect with the people who grow the producethat we all depend on.”(http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/what-fairtrade-does)

How do you recogniseFairtrade products? “The FAIRTRADE Mark is a registered certification labelfor products sourced from producers in developingcountries.

Products with the FAIRTRADE Mark must meet international Fairtradestandards. These are set by the international certification body FairtradeInternational. These standards are agreed through research andconsultation with members of the Fairtrade scheme, including farmersand workers themselves, traders, NGOs, academic institutions andlabelling organisations such as the Fairtrade Foundation.”

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For most Fairtrade goods there is a which is set to coverthe cost of sustainable production for that product in that region. If the market pricefor that product is higher that our minimum price, then producers should receive themarket price. Payment of the minimum price is regularly audited and checked byFLO-Cert. This acts as a vital safety net for farmers and workers and protects themfrom fluctuations in the market prices of the products they grow for a living. This pro-tection ensures they can have an assured and stable income and plan for their fu-ture. Fairtrade is the only certification scheme that offers such a unique minimumprice protection for farmers.

Over and above the Fairtrade price, the Fairtrade Premium is an additional sum ofmoney. which goes into a communal fund for workers and farmers to use – as theysee fit - to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.”

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/what-fairtrade-does

“Fairtrade supports farmers and workers in gaining more from trade and through thisthey are empowered to control their lives. It is an alternative approach that is basedon partnership; one between those who grow our food and those that consume it.

Fairtrade is 50% owned by producers

Fairtrade works with a range of stakeholders but our global system is 50% owned byproducers representing farmer and worker organisations. With an equal voice,producers have a say in decision-making within our General Assembly and onFairtrade International’s Board of Directors. Through the Board and its committees,they are involved in decisions on overall strategy, use of resources and setting prices,premiums and standards.”

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/what-fairtrade-does

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What is the FairtradeFoundation?

“The Fairtrade Foundation is the independent non-profit organisation thatlicenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products in the UK in accordance withinternationally agreed Fairtrade standards.

The Foundation is the UK member of Fairtrade International, which unites over20 labelling initiatives across Europe, Japan, North America, Mexico andAustralia/New Zealand as well as networks of producer organisations fromAsia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.”

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/faqs

The Foundation was established in 1992 by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam,Traidcraft, the World Development Movement, and the National Federation ofWomen’s Institutes. Member organisations now also include Banana Link,Methodist Relief and Development Fund, National Campaigner Committee,Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, People & Planet, Scottish CatholicInternational Aid Fund, Shared Interest Foundation, Soroptimist International ,Tearfund and Commitment to Life / United Reformed Church.

The Fairtrade Foundation is a registered charity (no. 1043886).

There is often a bit of confusion about whether the Fairtrade Foundation is acharity or a business. The Foundation is most importantly a charitable bodythat works with other businesses to certify their products againstinternationally agreed and independently audited Fairtrade standards. TheFairtrade Foundation does not make the final products themselves; howFairtrade ingredients are processed to make the items on the kitchen shelf, isup to the manufacturers.

The Foundation also supports grassroots campaigning across the UKthroughout a number of different communities such as schools, universities,towns and churches.

Find out more about the Fairtrade Foundation online at

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

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“What is Fairtrade?” - A short introductory pamphlet from the Fairtrde Foundation

“Fairtrade Explained.” A longer explanation, also from the Fairtrade foundation.

More of these leaflets are available from the Fairtrade Foundation (Feb 2015)

http://shop.fairtrade.org.uk/fairtrade-fortnight-2015

http://shop.fairtrade.org.uk/towns

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What is a FairtradeChurch?Churches that show their support of the concept of Fairtrade by fulfillingcertain requirements (see Step 2 for detail on the how) can register with theFairtrade Foundation and then are permitted to display a poster to thateffect and can use the Fairtrade mark on their website and weekly sheet.

Sometimes Churches may feel that the paperwork (which is slight, see Step 2again) is not worth if the Church is supporting Fairtrade producers by buyingFairtrade goods. However, this is only part of what Church organisations cando. Fairtrade is about obtaining justice for the poor. A parallel has been drawnbetween the fight against slavery in the 19th Century and the fight for justtreatment in global markets today. The Church lead the fight against slavery,surely it should also lead the fight against the enslavement of poverty today.To that end, it is not enough simply to buy Fairtrade products, we shouldengage as well in the debate and show our hearts on our sleeves by signingup to demonstrate our support of Fairtrade. By becoming a Fairtrade Church,you encourage people within and outside your congregation to engage in theissues of world poverty and do something about it.

Why become a FairtradeChurch?

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Why become a FairtradeDiocese?It follows on that if Churches should wear their heart on their sleeves soshould the wider Church community. If you agree with my ideas expressedabout Fairtrade Churches, then the idea of a Fairtrade Diocese is a logicalprogression; it is simply a matter of scaling up the previous argument.

What is a FairtradeDiocese?A Fairtrade Diocese or Denominational Area, is similar to a Fairtrade Churchin that the whole Diocese shows its support for the concept of Fairtrade byfulfilling a number of criteria. Which are

1. “Support and promote Fairtrade, further encourage the use and sale ofFairtrade products and to serve only Fairtrade coffee and tea atmeetings it is responsible for.

2. Ensure that at least half the churches or places of worship in yourdenominational area have become a ‘Fairtrade Church

3. Encourage other local churches, parishes, circuits etc. to adopt aFairtrade policy. As far as possible, display literature advertising thefact that Fairtrade products re used and served there.

4. Attract further media coverage and continue raising awareness of theFAIRTRADE Mark. If possible, make reference to your denominationalarea’s Fairtrade status on any relevant websites.

5. Set up a Fairtrade steering group to take responsibility for monitoringthat goals continue to be met and developed over time.”

(http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/get-involved/in-your-community/faith-groups/fairtrade-denominational-areas)

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2Step 2 -Becoming aFairtrade Church

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Your Church can be registered by the Fairtrade Foundation as a “FairtradeChurch” There is a form to fill in (see the end of this section). On this arepresentative from your congregation signs that your PCC has agree tothe following:

● Use Fairtrade tea and coffee whenever these refreshments areserved on Church premises

●Move forward on using other Fairtrade products (such as sugar,biscuits, fruit, communion wine and cleaning products)

● Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight and during the yearthrough events, worship and other activities whenever possible

The form also asks for some evidence of what you are doing and forcontact details.

If you have progressed this far in this booklet, it is because you have beenpersuaded that Fairtrade is both a good thing and something that speaksto the faith and commitment of the Church. This form shows that you arewilling to show your support of Fairtrade in “word and deed.”

Requirements forbecoming a FairtradeChurch.

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What should we actuallydo?Let us look at the requirements section by section

A lot of Churches, but not all, serve refreshments after one or more Sundaymorning services. Those Churches are probably already using Fairtradecoffee and tea, so this is already a tick on the form and you just have to writedown the name of your coffee and tea.

If you are still using Nestle Gold Blend, now is the time to change and to doso you will need to engage the enthusiasm of the coffee makers. In myexperience, the preferred choice of tea or coffee is a matter of habit. In yourattempts to change you may well meet people who say “I don’t like Fairtradecoffee”. There are now hundreds of coffees branded as Fairtrade, so itseems likely that you should be able to find one that suits the palate of yourcongregation. How about combining a thank you to the coffee makers with atasting session in which they get to choose the new Fairtrade tea andcoffee.?

Some Churches, possibly in particular small ones, do not have a weeklyfellowship after a Sunday morning service or they do not serve coffee. I wastold of one Church that provides sherry instead. You do not have to routinelyserve tea and coffee, just when you do, make sure it is Fairtrade. There canbe a problem of people bringing in jars of coffee or packets of tea which arenot Fairtrade, for different events. Just explain to them and perhaps leave apolite notice, up in the kitchen or next to the kettle, saying what the Churchis trying to do.

If the Church is promoting Fairtrade in ”word and deed”, this firstrequirement is about setting an example. So it does not matter how oftenthat you provide tea or coffee, just when you do, make it Fairtrade.

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The Fairtrade Foundation has certified over 4,500 products. Your Church isnot going to use all of them, so take your pick, there is now a lot of choice.Like the tea and coffee, it is about setting an example and continuing to thinkabout ways to move forward on the issue of Fairtrade.

On the application form suggested items are sugar, biscuits, fruit, communionwine and cleaning products - these are only suggestions. Fairtrade sugar is aneasy one as all Tate and Lyle is now Fairtrade. Alternatively, I wouldparticularly recommend the sugar sachets sold by Traidcraft as they help tokeep the sugar in good condition as well as being a clear advertisement forFairtrade.

The only Fairtrade cleaning products are made by Traidcraft using “FairPalm”(palm oil) see “Case Study Palm Oil” athttp://www.traidcraft.co.uk/resourcesearch . “Clean & Fair” products can befound at http://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/c-972-clean-and-fair-eco-friendly-cleaning-products-.aspx

The only Fairly Traded Communion Wine available in the UK is Poterion fromWhitebridge Wines (http://www.poterionfairtrade.co.uk/). Many churches inthe Diocese of Bath and Wells already use this wine; when asked for feedbackrecently, one of the comments was

“The three churches in our Benefice know that by purchasing Poterionwe are helping to support Fair Trade projects in South Africa. We havebeen impressed with the range of support that Poterion provides for itsworkers and their local communities. We have also benefited from usinga wine with a good flavour and keeps well. A “win-win” situation allround!”

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Fairtrade Fortnight is a national two weeks of action on the issue ofFairtrade, taking place between February and March. It is spearheaded bythe Fairtrade Foundation who determine a theme and produce relevant freeresources including appropriate worship material. Other interested andinvolved groups also used this time to promote Fairtrade either usingFairtrade Foundation resources or producing their own. (Seehttp://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight-2015)

Fairtrade Fortnight is a convenient “hook” into considering the place ofsocial justice within the Christian faith. It makes for an interesting andapposite sermon and there are some stirring modern hymns (mainly by JohnBell) to rouse the emotions. Some Churches will organise special relevantevents focused on the fortnight (see Step 5 Campaigning) but you need to dosomething that is appropriate and relevant to your Church. Do not forgetsimple things such as displaying a (new) poster or providing a cake madewith Fairtrade ingredients to be eaten with your Fairtrade coffee after themorning service. However, the aim is to get your wider congregation thinkingabout the issues behind Fairtrade and for some people this is harder forthem than donating money.

There are a number of organisations that produce helpful worship resourcematerials on the theme of Fairtrade. The Fairtrade Foundation has alreadybeen cited as such a source.

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Another source of ideas is Traidcraft. This organisation has already beenmentioned in this booklet and many of you will already be familiar with itbut for those of you who are asking…..

What is “Traidcraft”?This is how Traidcraft describe themselves

“Traidcraft is the UK’s leading fair trade organisation and we're dedicated tofighting poverty through trade.

Traidcraft plc, our trading company, is one of the leading dedicated fair tradecompanies in the UK and globally.

We source the UK’s widest range of fair trade foods, beverages, householdcleaning, charcoal and rubber products, as well as fair trade crafts andclothing, from fair trade suppliers in more than 30 developing countries.”

(http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/what-we-do)

Traidcraft pre-dates the Fairtrade Foundation by 15 years and for somechurch goers Traidcraft and Fairtrade are synonymous, but whereas allTraidcraft is Fair trade, not all Fairtrade is Traidcraft. The FairtradeFoundation is foremost a charity, but Traidcraft is foremost a business witha strong ethical and charitable ethos as well as an associate registeredcharity.

Both parts of Traidcraft are excellent sources of resources; seehttp://www.traidcraft.co.uk/resources andhttp://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/c-712-resources.aspx

http://www.ccow.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Praying-and-Preaching-about-Fair-Trade.pdf

http://www.oneworldweek.org/v2/faith-resources.html

http://fairtrade.london.anglican.org/Main%20pages/prayerandworship.htm(Mainly taken from Fairtrade Foundation & Traidcraft)

http://www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/god_fairtradecovenant_0209pdf.pdf

http://www.baptist.org.uk/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=127222&view=browser

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Remember that issues of global and trade justice do not have to be restrict-ed to Fairtrade Fortnight. Other opportunities include

● Christian Aid week

● Lent

● Back to Church Sunday (http://www.backtochurch.co.uk/) sponsoredby Traidcraft

● Harvest

● One World Week (http://www.oneworldweek.org/v2/)

● Advent

●World Trade Day (2nd Saturday in May)

, you should find-

● A copy of the Bath and Wells Fairtrade Church application form -this can be photocopied or it is available from

http://www.bathandwells.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bath-Wells-Fairtrade-Church-Application-Form2.pdf

● An example of support material from the Fairtrade Foundation.

● which is aimed at churches may feel thattheir congregation are too few in number to become a “FairtradeChurch”.You are welcome to photocopy and distribute thisleaflet.

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Step 3 -TakingFairtrade beyondthe Church doors

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This will mean that your congregation will be taking Fairtrade products outfrom Church to share with their family and friends

Many people think that having a stall is a requirement for becomingregistered as a Fairtrade Church, but it is not. However, having a stall doeshelp fulfil requirement 3 on the registration form, because it is a regularreminder to all members of the congregation and it can be an instrument ofoutreach to the community.

If you sell Fairtrade products in your Church, these do not have to be fromTraidcraft, but it is much easier to start as a Traidcraft fair trader.

Starting aFairtrade/Traidcraftstall

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http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/buy-fair-trade-for-church

“Traidcraft was founded on Christian principles and churches play a vitalrole in helping us fight poverty – we couldn’t do it without you. So why notget involved and help us bring justice to the poor.

Become a Fair Trader

More than 5,000 Fair Traders buy Traidcraft groceries and crafts to sell intheir churches and wider communities around the UK. Be one of them - itmakes a huge impact.

As a Fair Trader you have control of what you sell and when. We’ll supportyou every step of the way and you’ll enjoy:

● Discounts

● Free promotional material

● A buy now, pay later facility

● Easy ordering

● Exclusive previews of our ranges.”

For further details on how to apply to become a “Fairtrader” go to

http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/fair-trader-account

It is useful for churches to have an account even if they do not run aregular stall.

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I have been a Traidcraft fair trader for about 15 years; this is my summary ofthe of the role.

● I feel it is a very practical and balanced way of addressing issues ofworld poverty.

● I enjoy doing it. It is a challenge but it is also fun.

● It can involve young people. Children just come and help on the stallwithout being asked. They engage at their own level in the issues ofFairtrade while practicing their mental arithmetic and interacting witholder members of the congregation.

● It can make money.

● At home, I never run out of basmati rice, honey or toilet paper.

● If successful it can take up space in all 4 dimensions. In other words itneeds work and commitment.

● You need to develop marketing strategies, the products do not sellthemselves. However, this for me is part of the enjoyable challenge(see up number 2).

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Once you have established your stall, you can then take it to other events-fetes, coffee mornings, school fund raisers, talks, gigs and local markets.

You need “seed” money because cash flow can be very difficult at thebeginning. Get the PCC to provide a loan/grant, or have a fund raisingcoffee morning. Alternatively, if this seems too challenging, buddy up withan existing stall holder and sell things on sale or return.

Decide where you are going to store things. It has to be cool, dry and micefree. Big plastic boxes are very useful. If it is at your home you have to takeit up to Church to sell it. If it is at Church the space is likely to be verylimited and you have to go up to Church to stock take and check sell bydates.

Ordering can by done by snail mail, but it is better to have someone with abit of IT knowledge involved as it makes the whole thing quicker and easier.

Buy a pricing gun, writing out price labels by hand is very tedious.

Check with the congregation at the beginning, before you put in your firstorder, what they would like to buy. After a while you will get to know whatsells well.

My suggestions forstarting a stall

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Teenagers are likely to know a lot about Fairtrade from geography lessonsin school. Try firing up their active enthusiasm by trying either of thesegames from Christian Aid

http://learn.christianaid.org.uk/YouthLeaderResources/trading_game.aspx

http://learn.christianaid.org.uk/YouthLeaderResources/choc_trade.aspx

http://learn.christianaid.org.uk/YouthLeaderResources/trainers.aspx

Take the message out to your local school, especially if it is a Church ofEngland maintained school. If they respond enthusiastically you could helpthem set up a Fairtrade stall or become a Fairtrade school.( For moredetails see http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/get-involved/in-your-community/schools

Do an audit of Fairtrade goods in your area., then

Encourage shops, large and small, to stock Fairtrade by asking for it.“Stock it “ are available from the Fairtrade Foundationhttp://shop.fairtrade.org.uk/stock-it-postcards

Some Fairtrade towns produce a local directory of where to buy Fairtrade

Invite a local business which has gained Fairtrade certification to speak toyour Church.

Both of these organisations were among the original sponsors of theFairtrade Foundation, but might need reminding of this at local level.

Other ways of steppingout for Fairtrade

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contains

● “Do something for Christ’s sake”

● “Fairtrade in your Church”

Both available from Traidcraft at http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/resourcesearch, asdownloads or paper copies

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4

Step 4 -Refreshingthe vision/Not allFairtrade is equal

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“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. Andif you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” ― LewisCarroll, Alice in Wonderland

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How long is the attention span of your Church or community?

Does this sound familiar

● You are a registered Fairtrade Church , well done.

● You have a monthly stall which is chugging along.

● You put up a poster during Fairtrade Fortnight.

All good stuff, however, compassion fatigue has set in. Sales on the stallhave dropped. The congregation say they are buying Fairtrade at thesupermarket, surely that is better? Peoples’ eye glaze over when youstart talking about Fairtrade.; They are complacent. What do you do?Should we shut up and sit down? No,there are still people in theDeveloping World struggling because we squeeze them financially untilthe coffee beans squeak.

● One obvious thing to do is really make full use of the FairtradeFortnight materials and do something different or revisithttp://www.traidcraft.co.uk/resources for amazing stories andstimulating worship ideas.

● Have a special service (the Kenyan Liturgy is very exciting if you areallowed to use it).

● Invite your MP to speak about their views on Fairtrade.

● Don’t be afraid to remind the congregation how awful poverty is.(See One big mountainhttp://www.tearfund.org/en/give/give_main/one_big_mountain/)

● Enter the rice challenge. If you sell 90 kg of rice it can pay for achild to go to school for a year in Malawi. See http://jts.co.uk/90kg-rice-challenge for more details

● Get your church to change to real coffee after the service. Thiscan work for churches of any size. If there are 2 people in thecongregation, buy a cafetiere; 10, a filter coffee machine; 40 asmall percolator from Traidcraft; 40 - 100 a large percolator; over100, 2 large percolators. Kingdom Coffee(www.kingdomcoffee.co.uk) and Traidcraft offer good deals onground coffee and Jurang (http://www.jurang.co.uk/) is alsoworth looking at. My church recently changed to real coffee and ithas lifted the atmosphere in the post service get together andprobably numbers as well. However, I should warn you that thecoffee makers found it much more challenging than I would havethought possible, so give them lots of support andencouragement

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●Make sure the congregation know about recent developments,such as the new Fairtrade logo, see

http://www.confectionerynews.com/Commodities/Fairtrade-chocolate-set-for-uplift-after-fresh-approach

Food tasting is always good.

● Cake made with Fairtrade ingredients (provide the recipe).

● Blind tasting of chocolate (seehttp://www.wikihow.com/Taste-Dark-Chocolate for more details)

Free samples from the stall

An idea from Annie Gurner in Crewkerne - stock the Fairtrade stall withitems not usually associate with Fairtrade to illustrate the range ofitems now available with the Fairtrade logo- baby grows/socks/beautyproducts/pants. The Ethical Superstore(http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com) is a good source, as well asTraidcraft.

New posters - especially during Fairtrade Fortnight (If you just leave upold posters, people stop seeing them)

Get in a good speaker

Have a curry evening

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Play Fairtrade pass the parcel (http://www.mothersunion.org/members/im-member/running-branch/branch-ideas)

A rollicking good sermon from the Rector always does wonders .

Advertise “the Real Easter Egg” or “The Real Advent Calender”

Get the youth group to run a social media based promotion campaign.

Include promoting Fairtrade in your Mission Action Plan.

Read a book about Fairtrade (eg Fighting the Banana Wars and OtherFairtrade Battles by Harriet Lamb )

Get your book group to read a book about Fairtrade

Become a Fairtrade mother hen and take another church from yourbenefice or group ministry under your wing. Help them become Fairtraderegistered or run a Fairtrade stall as sale or return.

Basically you just have to keep on “banging on about it”. There is an endpoint to the campaign and that is went the logo becomes redundantbecause we, the consumers, know that all producers are always paid a fairwage for their wares. That end-point is still a long way off.

How is that possible? Surely Fairtrade is about justice and being justmeans treating everybody the same, so how can some Fairtrade be betterthan others !

I will let Traidcraft explain; read the excellent leaflets in the fourthwallet.

contains

● Traidcraft - an Introduction

● Not all Fairtrade is created equal

Both leaflets are available from Traidcraft or as a download from

http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/resourcesearch

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1. Purchase several coffees available on the market with similar descriptions.  Treatit as if it were a scientific experiment: if you decide to compare blends againsteach other, make sure they are all blends.  If you decide to compare a coffeefrom Colombia, make sure they are all from Colombia etc.  This will ensure youare comparing like for like.

2. Prepare the coffees as you would normally (if normally drunk with milk, I suggestpreparing two cups of each, one with milk and one without to be able to reallytaste the coffee first), just make sure they are all prepared in the same way(same amount of coffee/water used).  I would suggest 6g per 100ml of waterwhen preparing roast and ground coffee, or 1tsp per 200ml of instant.

3. Label each cup (post it note?) with a number and then cross reference thisnumber to a list you have kept on a private notepad with the details of what eachcoffee is.

4. Equip each taster with a soup spoon to dip into the cups for tasting.5. Fill an extra cup or two with hot water for rinsing spoons between each taste for

hygiene and to avoid remnants of one coffee staying on the spoon.6. Suggest each taster make notes and list their favourites 1-6 (or however many

you will taste.  I would suggest 8 as maximum).  This will encourage people toreally think about the taste and to go back to cups and taste them again. Encourage them to try and describe what they like and what they don’t like andwhy.  There are no silly answers!

7. Involve lots of people, such things are always interesting when many taste budsare involved.

8. I would leave yourself half an hour for setting up, and half an hour to forty fiveminutes for tasting and discussion.

I think that this would also work for tea. Having tried a blind coffee tasting, the onlypart of the instructions I would challenge is making all the coffees identically. I thinkyou have to judge what proportions produce the best taste for each coffee, so thistakes a little work in advance.

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5Step 5 - Campaigning

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This booklet is aimed at Churches, but it may well be at this stage theChurch through the PCC, is still working together, or there is a small group ofinvolved and enthused parishioners, or it is just a dedicated individual thatburns with a desire to do something more than dropping coins in acollecting tin. In the long term, real change needs more than money, so thissection is more about consciousness raising rather than charities raisingmoney.

Within the context of campaigning, there is a choice between promoting theconcept of Fairtrade or campaigning on the wider issues of world poverty,although it seems likely to me that most people will do both.

Over the years there have been many campaigns including

Walk for the World

Jubilee 2000 (still campaigning as http://jubileedebt.org.uk/)

Make poverty history (still campaigning ashttp://www.makepovertyhistory.org/takeaction/index.shtml)

The If ..campaign

This year there is “Action 2015” see http://www.action2015.org/

Christian Aid(http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ActNow/campaigns/index.aspx)

Global Justice Now (formally know as the World Development Movement)(http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/

Oxfam (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/our-campaigns)

Traidcraft (http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/take-action)

You have looked through this booklet and now feel that you are ready toreally stretch your commitment to Fairtrade - excellent! Read on.

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Fairtrade Foundation - is the most obvious and this runs a well resourcedcampaign every year during Fairtrade Fortnight, but it also has other ongoingcampaigns (http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/get-involved/current-campaigns)

Traidcraft (http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/media/2e9c7aa3-fe4a-459c-9387-974dc0a615d7)

All these organisations will welcome your support and tell you how to getinvolved; get on to their websites to find out more.

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Frequently askedquestions FAQ

All the questions and answers for this section are taken from

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/faqs

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Fairtrade International (formally known as Fairtrade Labelling OrganisationsInternational - or 'FLO') is the international body made up of the FairtradeFoundation and its partner organisations around the world. We’re proud tosay it’s 50 per cent owned by the farmers and workers it works for. FLO is incharge of developing Fairtrade standards for products, supporting farmersand workers, and operating global certification and auditing systems.

FLO is based in Bonn, Germany, and is composed of two separateorganisations:

1. FLO International eV. is a non-profit multi-stakeholder association. FLOdevelops and reviews international Fairtrade standards and supportsfarmers and workers to make the most of market opportunities. Read moreat www.fairtrade.net/who-we-are.html

2. FLO-CERT GmbH is a limited company in charge of the inspection andcertification of farmers, workers and traders. It operates independently ofany other interests, and follows the international ISO standard forcertification bodies (ISO 65). Read more at www.flo-cert.net/flo-cert/158.html

The Fairtrade minimum price defines the lowest possible price that a buyerof Fairtrade products must pay the producer. The minimum price is set basedon a consultative process with Fairtrade farmers, workers and traders andguarantees that producer groups receive a price which covers what it coststhem to grow their crop. When the market price is higher than the Fairtrademinimum price, the trader must pay the market price

It’s what makes Fairtrade unique. It’s an additional sum of money paid ontop of the Fairtrade minimum price that farmers and workers invest in social,environmental and economic developmental projects to improve theirbusinesses and their communities. They decide democratically by committeehow to invest the premium.

Farmers/workers must meet environmental standards as part ofcertification. Producers are required to work to protect the naturalenvironment and make environmental protection a part of farmmanagement. They are also encouraged to minimise the use of energy,especially from non-renewable sources.

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By choosing Fairtrade, shoppers in the UK are ensuring that farmers andworkers receive a Fairtrade premium to invest in economic, social andenvironmental products of their own choice. It means they can implement arange of environmental protection programmes which contribute to the rangeof solutions needed to address climate change and ultimately benefit us all. Togive two examples, tea workers in India have invested some of their FairtradePremium into replacing the traditional wood-burning heating with a solar-panelled system. Coffee farmers in Costa Rica have used the premium toreplant trees to prevent soil erosion and have invested in environmentallyfriendly ovens, fuelled by recycled coffee hulls and the dried shells ofmacadamia nuts. This means that they no longer need to cut forest trees andso can preserve the rainforest and the oxygen they produce.

By choosing Fairtrade products, you can help farmers and workers preservetheir own environment and allow them to have a positive social benefit in theircommunity.

Climate change hits the poorest in developing countries hardest. This includespeople whose livelihoods depend on agriculture. Through the FairtradePremium farmers and workers have a little extra to use when harvests fail, orif they need to change to growing a different crop if the climate becomesunsuitable for the way they currently farm.

Many Fairtrade products, such as coffee, tea, flowers, sugar and rice are 100per cent Fairtrade. However there are other products, such as cakes, biscuits,ice cream and chocolate, in which the ingredients are a mixture of Fairtradeingredients from developing countries (such as sugar, cocoa, honey andvanilla) and ingredients sourced more locally from UK or European farmers(such as milk, flour or eggs). These are known as ‘composite products’.

To take account of this, the Fairtrade Foundation has developed requirementsfor where and how the FAIRTRADE Mark may be used based on FLO policy.

The main principles of these requirements are:

● 100 per cent of any ingredient that can be Fairtrade certified, must beFairtrade certified.

● Any product may carry the FAIRTRADE Mark if more than 50 per cent ofits total ingredients (calculated by dry weight) are sourced from Fairtradecertified producer organisations.

● If the total Fairtrade certified ingredient content is less than 50 per cent,the product may still be eligible if it has one significant Fairtradeingredient that represents more than 20 per cent of the product’s dry

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weight. An example of a significant ingredient might be an orange juice drinkmade of 20 per cent Fairtrade certified orange juice and the rest water.

Fairtrade certification and pricing were designed for commodity products. It is hardto adapt the Fairtrade model of standardised minimum pricing to crafts and otherproducts made by small-scale artisans, which are unique, made of varied materialsand have highly varied production processes and costs. However, FLO is working withWFTO to explore whether we could certify these products in the future.”

From http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/faqs.aspx

See this web page for more frequently asked questions

The FAIRTRADE Mark was established specifically to support the most disadvantagedproducers in the world by using trade as a tool for sustainable development. We dorecognise that many farmers in the UK face similar issues as farmers elsewhere, notleast ensuring that they get a decent return for upholding social and environmentalstandards in their production.

However there are also some major differences. For example, farmers in developingcountries often have little infrastructural support, social security systems or othersafety nets available if they cannot get a fair price for their products. Our Fairtradestandards, and our expertise, are specifically focused on enabling producers indeveloping countries tackle poverty through trade. If the Foundation diverted its ownattention from this mission, this could potentially end up diluting the benefits ofFairtrade for the very farmers and workers we were established to support.

We agree that the principles behind fair trade may provide useful insight into thedebate on improving the situation for UK producers. However, the Foundation is notconvinced, that a labelling scheme is the right solution to the problems affecting UKfarmers. A plethora of similar sounding labelling initiatives could result in confusionfor consumers and undermine both the local cause and the global situation we careso deeply about.

Rather than yet another label, the Foundation believes a more rigorous investigationby government and the industry itself is needed. This should look into the causesbehind the problems being experienced by domestic producers, so that more robustand wide reaching policy tools can be identified – to benefit all affected farmers, andto reassure all concerned shoppers.

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Buy both! We recognise that many farmers in the UK face similar issues to farmerselsewhere, not least ensuring that they get a fair return for upholding decent social andenvironmental standards in their production. We therefore support the promotion ofsustainable production for UK farmers but our specific role will continue to besupporting farmers from the developing world.

Fairtrade isn’t in competition with UK farmers and buying local and buying Fairtradeneed not be mutually exclusive. Fairtrade focuses mainly on products such as coffeeand bananas that can’t be grown in temperate climates or products that can’t be grownin sufficient quantities in the EU e.g. grapes and oranges. For some items such as honeyand flowers, local supply is not able to meet the total demand - it has been estimatedthat both UK flowers and honey account for less than one-third of the UK market - andso imports are necessary to meet demand. Other products, such as apples, areseasonal in both the UK and places like South Africa, and for as long as shoppers wantto buy apples out of season, there is a demand for fruit from other countries.

Often the choice facing shoppers is not necessarily between local honey and Fairtradecertified honey but between Fairtrade honey and conventional honey imported from,say, the US or China. It is up to each person to weigh up these choices and shopaccordingly.

Ultimately, it is up to each person to do what they see as being in the interests of peopleand our planet. What is important is that we all try to make informed choices whereverpossible. We are committed to raising awareness of ways in which buying productscarrying the FAIRTRADE Mark is empowering and strengthening the future fordisadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries.