Fair Trade and bananas?

Fairtrade began in 1992 when several charities including Oxfam, Traidcraft and Christian Aid set up a non profit making organisation to encourage people in the UK to buy products from Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCS) at a price that was fair to the producers of the products.

Fairtrade's vision is  'of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential'
For more information about the organisation go to www.fairtrade.org.uk

Is this all bananas?

Ecuador, a poor country in South America, is the world’s biggest exporter of  bananas but workers there are exploited by the wealthy plantation owners.  They are paid only 1.90 euros a day and work in unhealthy conditions which can damage their health.  People in European supermarkets are often not aware of this when they choose their bananas.

Watch this video on YouTube to see what conditions are like for workers at Los Alamos in Ecuador.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrp7FpJGyqw

Please post your comments on this blog. Try to include the following:

• your thoughts about the Los Alamos film
• look at the food in your kitchen - where does it originate from? Where are your bananas from? Does any of your food have a fair trade symbol?
• what does your family think about buying fair trade products?