FAIRTRADE
Bananas are the most popular food in the world. They don't grow in the cool British climate, but British people eat 13 million every day. The banans are transported from tropical regions of the world but cost only around 11 pence each. WHY?
Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world. They don't grow in the cool British climate, but British people eat 13 million every year. They come from tropical regions of the world, but they cost only around 11 pence in British supermarkets. Why is it so?The reason is that the farmers who produce bananas often get very little money. The companies that buy the bananas want to make huge profits. Some farmers eat so little that they can't buy food for their families. The farmers often work long hours. They can get hurt bu dangerous pesticides.Sometimes they don't even have clean water
Fairtrade is an international movement which tries to help farmers and workers in developing countries. Fairtrade products: bananas, coffee, sugar, cocoa, rice, cotton, have a special label. When you buy a product with a Fairtrade Label, you know that the farmer received a fair price and worked in good conditions. The farmers also receive some extra money, called Fairtrade premium, to use in their community.
Fairtrade is an international movement which tries to help farmers and workers in developing countries. Fairtrade products: bananas, coffee, sugar, cocoa, rice, cotton, have a special label. When you buy a product with a Fairtrade Label, you know that the farmer received a fair price and worked in good conditions. The farmers also receive some extra money, called Fairtrade premium, to use in their community.
Foncho is a Fairtrade banana farmer in Colombia who belongs to a farmers' co-operative. 'We experienced very difficult times when we weren't in Fairtrade', he says. Today, as a Fairtrade farmer, he gets a minimum price for his bananas and his co-operative also gets the Fairtrade premium. This means that he can build a house and put food on the table for his family. It also means that his children get an eduction.
So, next time you are shopping in the supermarket, look for the Fairtrade label. If enough people choose to buy Fairtrade products, more companies will pay the farmers a fair price. And more people in the world will have food to it.
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