Hundreds of Churches Commit to Fairtrade

Welcome Baptist Church in Heathfield, East Sussex, has become the nation's 400th 'Fairtrade Church'. The scheme, supported by aid agency Tearfund, encourages churches throughout the country to serve only Fairtrade products at all church events.

The church committed to achieving the 'Fairtrade Church' status after hearing of the problems faced by small-scale farmers in developing countries caused by unfair terms of trade.

Alison Wright, a congregation member says, "Some people were surprised to learn of the difference that buying Fairtrade products makes to the farmers and just how many products with the Fairtrade mark are now available in supermarkets. It's posed quite a challenge to our shopping habits. We're even thinking of switching over to Fairtrade wine for our communion!"

By becoming a 'Fairtrade Church', the congregation of Welcome Baptist Church have committed to using only Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar at their services and are on the lookout for even more Fairtrade products to use, such as biscuits and fruit juice at events organised by the church. They will also be working to raise awareness during Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs this year from 26 February to 11 March.

Vanda Adkins, Tearfund's Trade Campaigner, says, "We're delighted that Welcome Baptist Church has committed to become a 'Fairtrade church'. Welcome Baptist Church is not only helping to support individual producers by buying Fairtrade goods, but through their purchasing power they are also helping to influence what our supermarkets and high street shops stock. Buying ethically encourages shops to behave ethically and is a great way of ensuring lives in some of the world's poorest countries are improved."

Buying one of the 1,500 products that carry the Fairtrade mark guarantees that producers receive a fair price for their products, and ensure that the product is produced in safe working conditions. Products include coffee, tea, chocolate, biscuits, flowers, wine, rice, sugar, honey, fruit juice and fresh fruit.

Sales of products carrying the Fairtrade mark increase by 40 per cent every year in the UK, giving hundreds of thousands of producers in developing countries the chance to build a better future, says Tearfund.

Peruvian coffee farmer and mother of four, Maridelsa Contrina Vera, says, 'I'd like to encourage our friends in the UK to carry on buying Fairtrade coffee for us to be able to live a better life. We know that the Fairtrade market is for small scale producers like us."

Today, more than five million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

To find out more about becoming a 'Fairtrade church' visit www.tearfund.org/trade.