Fairtrade

“When cotton prices dropped below the cost of production it was very depressing and demotivating. Life was difficult, we had poor healthcare in the village with many women dying during childbirth and high rates of infant mortality. Empty pesticide containers were used as water carriers which sometimes caused deaths.

Makandianfing, Cotton Farmer, Mali

In the developing world many farmers struggle to feed their families because they are underpaid for their crops which are exported to the West. Workers in the Far East toil away in sweatshops making clothes that we buy from high street shops. From coffee and banana plantations in South America to clothing factories in India, millions of people are being mistreated and underpaid to drive up profit margins for large businesses and keep prices low for consumers. Fairtrade is a way of protecting vulnerable workers.

• Fairtrade protects farmers in the developing world by ensuring better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade
• Currently 7 million farmers and their families in Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from fairtrade
• Fairtrade products include chocolate, fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, coffee, bananas, coffee, sugar and non-food items such as cotton and cut flowers

“Fairtrade has changed the life of my community. Fairtrade standards brought better agricultural practices. Now, we dispose of waste properly. We don't burn bushes any more, we prevent soil erosion and have effective irrigation.

We have been able to build a school, a new maternity centre and a food storage facility to give us a year-round supply. We have also installed a pump for drinking water and built a new road outside the village. My wife is pregnant with our first child – and for the first time we are optimistic about the future. I encourage everyone to buy more Fairtrade products if they want to make an impact on millions of lives.”

* Makandianfing is a cotton farmer in Dougourakoroni village, Mali, west Africa. He is a member of the UC-CPC de Djidian cooperative, which has been Fairtrade-certified since 2005.