How Fairtrade creates essential infrastructure

This weekend marks the start of Fairtrade Fortnight (23rd Feb to 7th March 2015) so this is a post which takes an engineer's perspective on what Fairtrade is all about. Later this week, I'll be considering the history of Fairtrade, and particularly how people of faith have played their part in bringing Fairtrade from niche to mainstream.

I've supported the Fairtrade movement since I was a teenager (indeed, my first ever campaign was to turn my high school Fairtrade with assemblies, displays and Fairtrade chocolate in the vending machines).
That means I've always been keenly aware of the difference Fairtrade makes: rather than an exploitative relationship between individual farmers and big retailers (with several middlemen taking their cut),

"Fair trade is…a pragmatic response to unsatisfactory outcomes of the market by changing the nature of trading relationships…" (Judith Sugden)

Long term relationships based on fair prices which are based on the cost of production rather than wildly variable commodity markets give farmers security which allows them to invest in better tools and seeds, improvements to drainage or farming methods. 
For crops produced on large plantations (tea, sugar) rather than individual smallholdings (coffee, cacao), Fairtrade standards require robust protection for workers, from fair pay and working conditions to ensuring workers are not exposed to pesticides.
There is also the Fairtrade premium, a small sum per kilo paid in addition to the price of the crop to the farmers' cooperative. The cooperative decides the best use of the money: schools or healthcare centres, a village well, better roads to take goods to market or investment in the farms: training, storage, processing facilities. This means that Fairtrade enables poor communities around the world to invest in essential infrastructure - a great message given that this week I was talking to the leader of the Green Party about the importance of investing in infrastructure!

So what's happening in York to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight? See the full list at http://www.fairtradeyork.com/ 

but I particularly recommend: 

• Films, Facts and Frivolities at City Screen Basement, 8pm on Tues 24th Feb, including a quiz, films and music including my band The Spectacles! 
• Fairtrade Chocolate: Just Divine, Thu 5th March, 7:30pm Chocolate tasting at Aroma cafe in Haxby. Friends, free chocolate and changing the world: what's not to like? 

UPDATE: York will be hosting the Yorkshire Regional conference on Sat 19th Sept 2015 - book here for stories and skills-sharing from across the region to help multiply the impact of Fairtrade on farming communities around the world.

See also:

• Fairtrade article in York Press
• Fair Comment magazine
• Why tread lightly?