Eating Well
			Eating and buying responsibly - fair trade foods
			You may have heard of Fair Trade – the idea that producers, especially in the ‘third world’ should get a fair deal when they grow coffee, cocoa, bananas etc. Normally only a few pence of the price we pay gets back to the farmers, and all too often they struggle to send the children to school or keep their homes repaired. We can’t buy direct from third world farmers and pay a fair price, so what can we do about it? When you next go to the supermarket, look out for the FAIRTRADE Mark. This label shows you which tea, coffee, chocolate, bananas, orange juice, cookies, honey and other foods give the farmer a better price. It’s a guarantee of fair trade. The Fairtrade Foundation checks that the producers can export direct, so no middlemen take their cut. And they make sure that the companies pay a fair price. And most importantly, they make sure that the farmers or workers get the benefits that result. The Fairtrade system operates in many European countries and the standards are set by Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). Every producer organisation has to be certified by FLO and every shipment is monitored to ensure the right price and other requirements are met. Companies cannot use the FAIRTRADE Mark unless they allow the Fairtrade Foundation to check their books. For some farmers, Fairtrade means they get almost double the price. The extra money not only means they can loo after their families – it allows them to use better farming practices, which are more environmentally sustainable; some have even become organic farmers. To find out more about Fairtrade producers, click on the people below: German works for a mango producer in Ecuador, Ovidia grows cocoa in the Dominican Republic, Nioka is a Caribbean banana farmer. Many people think it is worth it to make the world a better place – for poor farmers and for our grandchildren! A new FAIRTRADE Mark will be appearing in the shops in autumn 2002. Look out for: