Key Questions and Top Tips for Fairtrade

The global movement with a strong and active presence in the UK says General Election campaigns are a good time to let candidates know about your church or school's support for Fairtrade, and to ask what they plan to do for the farmers and workers around the world who grow our food.

Speaking to election candidates can set up relationships which last their whole career in Parliament. It is a great chance to remind candidates that voters like you want to see action on poverty, human rights abuses and environmental damage in UK trade.

Politicians of all parties have become active supporters of Fairtrade, because people like you have asked them. So no matter where you live, and who your candidates are, you can make a difference with our Members of Parliament.

Fartrade says that Brexit could mean big changes in the way the UK trades around the world. Farmers and workers in developing countries could gain – or lose out – from changes to the UK’s trade rules. Trade deals can affect many issues, including human rights, and the environment.

So Fairtrade believes that trade policy should prioritise the needs of farmers and workers in developing countries.
They even suggest key questions to ask candidiates:

"What will you do to make sure that the UK’s trade policy is fair for farmers and workers in developing countries? Will you make sure that trade policy supports poverty reduction, climate emergency action and human rights?"

And:

"How will you hold UK businesses accountable to deliver high standards on human rights, environment and in fair trading practices, when they are buying from farmers overseas?"

Fairtrade is calling for all UK businesses to treat those who grow our food fairly – including Fairtrade farmers and workers. The movement wants a new Government to:

support businesses by strengthening the Modern Slavery Act to improve transparency about how companies are acting on forced labour risks in their supply chains;

introduce new legislation on Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) to improve business accountability for a wider set of human rights issues;

and address widespread unfair trading practices in the international food supply chain so that farmers and workers aren’t short changed by buyers. This could be done by expanding the role of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) or introducing complementary measures.

Finally, the Fairtrade Foundation is keen to know what answers you were given.

Email hello@fairtrade.org.uk or, if you’re on social media, Tweet and tag @fairtradeuk with the latest from your hustings.