Fair to the last drop?
Not long ago, 'fair trade' coffee was hopelessly fringe. Today you'll find it at Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and even McDonald's. For some, this proves the movement has arrived. For others, the label has lost its meaning. The Boston Globe, 22nd October 2006

At last, a good reason to go to the pub
It is rare that you can say you are helping others by taking a trip to the pub, but customers at a Warrington drinking establishment are probably helping people across the world. That's because the Ring O'Bells on Church Street has just been named as the borough's first Fair Trade pub after it began stocking wines and coffees that make sure the producers receive a fair price for their labour. Northwich Guardian, 21st October 2006

Would you buy fair trade?
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin writes the words 'fair trade' on his hand each time he performs. And with his DATA campaign (debt, Aids, trade, Africa), U2's Bono and his wife Ali have launched a fair trade fashion line, Edun, and are intent on hammering away at what he terms the 'unfair trade rules which keep Africans poor'. FAIRLADY, November 2006 Issue

Madagascar crafters learn tricks of trade
October is Fair Trade Month. And through a partnership supported by the Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Fund, crafters in Madagascar are learning the ins and outs of product development and marketing their creations overseas. Catholic Relief Services

Hey, nice clothes. But are they ethical?
Maseru , Lesotho - Last year, Anna Tsoeu was unable to send much needed money to her family after being laid off from her textile factory job in this poor southern African country.

Lesotho 's key industry was collapsing as factories cut about 10,000 jobs after Chinese imports flooded the market. Now Ms Tsoeu is working again, packaging shirts for brands like Old Navy. She's part of a remarkable turnaround spurred by Lesotho 's increasing attractiveness as an origin of "ethical clothing". Christian Science Monitor, 13th October 2006

Vatican document on international free, just trade "The achievement of greater justice through fair trade continues to be a major concern of the Holy See. 'Freedom of trade is fair only if it is subject to the demands of social justice' (Paul VI, Populorum progression , n. 59). For the security and development of all peoples, but especially the poor, it would be well for all parties to make greater efforts to overcome the stalemate in multilateral negotiations and to respect the spirit and commitments of Doha regarding the relations between trade, development, responsibility based on solidarity and the overthrow of poverty." Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio of the Holy See's permanent mission to the UN. Catholic Online, 19th October 2006

Youthink! But do you know?
An educational website created by young people at the World Bank for students and teachers, Youthink!But do you know? has a focus on economic and sustainable development issues. The trade section of the site contains a range of resources such as facts sheets, multimedia resources, a quiz section and links.

youthink.worldbank.org

One Cup - a short documentary film available online
Filmed in the mountains of Timor Leste in January 2006, One Cup is a portrait of the struggles of coffee farming in the poorest country in Asia . The 29-minute documentary, which is free to download from www.onecupthefilm.com , illustrates the benefits Timorese farmers and producer communities receive through their participation in the international Fair Trade System, whilst highlighting the need for increased awareness of ethical trade and support for farmers in developing nations.

www.onecupthefilm.com

REFLECTION: The cost of free trade

God of Compassion,
You look down on the global marketplace
and see the scales tipped by subsidies and tariffs.
The unsold milk in Jamaica draining away wasted.
The maize in Mexico rotting on the stalk.
And while the rich feast on the proceeds of their sales,
the poor count the cost of free trade.

God of justice,
Call us to account.
Inspire us, so that we may cast off our complacency and apathy
and joining hands with people at home and abroad,
we may make a stand for justice and righteousness,
for all who dwell on the earth.

© Sue Cooper/CAFOD

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