This year, Fairtrade Fortnight runs from the 9th of September – 22nd September, and the 30-year-old Foundation is urging us to “Be The Change” by picking up Fairtrade products and speaking up for fairer trade. Fairtrade works with farming co-operatives, businesses and governments to make trade fairer by setting social, economic and environmental standards for the companies and farmers involved in the supply chain. This has wide-reaching effects on matters of poverty, climate change and much more for the suppliers of our chocolate, flowers, T-shirts and all other manner of day-to-day items we use. But why is Fairtrade important to us at Comfort International? Director Callum Henderson talks here about why we should all be concerned with buying Fairtrade.
Callum writes, “For some people, Fairtrade Fortnight (9/9/24-22/9/24) passes by as an inconsequential lobbying and marketing ploy by yet another interest group, and yet it is rooted in some of the most fundamental necessities of Christian living and of what we try to achieve in many of our projects. As surely as God’s Kingdom is founded on justice (Psalm 89:14), the cries of those workers who do not receive a fair wage for their work and produce rises up to heaven and God hears (James 5:4). That verse in James also says a surprising thing – that the crying of those who are impoverished through unfair prices (their wage is a direct consequence of the price we pay) is crying out against us. In other words, God draws a direct line of responsibility between us as the consumers and those on the other side of the world who receive an inadequate payment for their work. It is not a cry against a nameless disempowerment, it is an appeal to God against a buyer, who, because of the power structures in our world, is able to purchase their produce at an unfairly low price. Fairtrade is thus a voluntary choice we make to refuse to be borne along by those unjust worldly power structures and choose to personally give to those we purchase from on the other side of the world a fair and just price for their produce.”
“Fairtrade began as an answer to exactly those cries – the appeal of Mexican coffee farmers whose income from their crop could not sustain their families. That is the reality of Fairtrade – it is the difference between a decent livelihood and grinding poverty. For those of us who invest so much in seeking to help the marginalised, broken and poor, the logic is clear – to give support for breaking free from poverty but withhold a fair payment for produce and thus condemn others to the same poverty we are trying to rescue people from is a contradiction in values and purpose. Indeed, we often talk in Comfort International of the importance of self-sustainable independent living and a just and fair payment for produce is a foundation of self-sustainability. Let’s take pineapples as a prime example of a supermarket product where Fairtrade is a choice. Comfort International has invested in pineapple production, particularly in Good News International’s Karongi communities. Choosing fairtrade pineapples means that other producers whose pineapples we buy are also blessed with a decent income. It’s a logical choice if we hold those values of fairness and justice and compassion.”
“There are imperfections in all systems and sometimes people will draw attention to those, but the fairtrade foundation mark is a certified confirmation that the producer at the other end is receiving a fair and just price. And that is at the heart of why we pray ‘your Kingdom come’.”
For over twenty years, Comfort International has been supporting the Dufashanye Craft Group – a group of twelve ladies in Rwanda who were widowed by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. After the genocide, the women started making crafts in order to pay for their children to go to school and have somewhere to live. Over time, their range of products have grown in diversity and quality, and today they produce beautiful hand-made Rwandan products which can be bought on our online shop here.
Craft Co-ordinator Ian Forbes told me, “I am at present just sorting out the crafts from Rwanda having just got them back from my colleague who prices them all for me. It is possibly the most exciting part of being Craft Coordinator for Comfort International as there are always different items and differing colours that are bright and cheerful. The ladies started the community after the genocide and slowly formed a group making crafts which we bring back to Scotland and sell at different types of craft fairs and through various Fair Trade shops. Please checkout our shop and see if you would like to buy for yourself or get in touch if you’d like to host a craft fair or become a stockist.”
To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, we are running a 10% sale across all crafts for the duration of the campaign. You can find jewellery, cards, decorations, toys and more beautifully handmade products and know that you are supporting an incredible group of women to continue to secure their future and their income. We would also like to join our voices with those of Fairtrade and urge all of our supporters to consider always buying Fairtrade. As Callum explains above, it’s an important part of our values to make sure we are paying a fair price to the producers of the commodities we use every day. Let’s join together and be the change.
