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10-year-old Mikreu proudly shows off a basket of Yirgacheffe coffee beans. Life is improving for children like Mikreu as their parents receive better wages through fair trade.

PRESS RELEASE: World Vision gives weight to fair trade call

World Vision is adding its support to Fair trade fortnight (April 28-May 13), calling on New Zealanders to buy products that ensure producers are getting a fair price for their work.

To coincide with Fair trade fortnight, World Vision has officially become a fair trade workplace, and has launched its 'Are you bean fair?' campaign calling people to use Fairtrade products, particularly coffee.

"Fair trade is about ensuring farmers in poor countries are paid a fair price for their product, whether it be coffee, cocoa, sugar or any other commodity," says World Vision CEO Lisa Cescon.

"The long-term goals of fair trade are community development and sustainability; these are principles we wholeheartedly advocate for."

Fairtrade product sales in New Zealand skyrocketed from $200,000 in 2004 to $4m in 2006, reports the Fair Trade Association.

"New Zealanders increasingly want to do the right thing by supporting the growers of products we consume. It's important that we act on the opportunity to do that, as part of our responsibility to help alleviate poverty where we can," says Miss Cescon.

World Vision knows fair trade works. The agency is currently working with thousands of coffee farmers through co-operatives in Ethiopia. Fair trade for them means a fair price in the international market and locally.

"Local private business people used to embezzle us, setting the price for our coffee the way they wanted it to be. Whatever price they gave us, we took it, because we did not have any alternative," says Ato Shiferaw Gobena, a member of the fair trade Hama coffee farmers co-operative in Kochore, Ethiopia.

"But now the price has risen [from US$.02] to US$0.35. It is because the co-operative could create a competitive business atmosphere that we could get a fair price even locally," he adds.

Fair Trade Fortnight is an initiative of the Fair Trade Association for Australia and New Zealand and is supported by a number of organisations including World Vision.

ENDS

http://www.worldvision.org.nz/advocacy/Economic_Justice_fairtrade.asp

NOTE: The Fair Trade Association together with other international organisations regulate fair trade, ensuring producers get paid a minimum price which is above or equal to the market rate, plus a Fairtrade Investment Premium for social and economic investment in the community. The premium allows communities to improve schools, health centres and methods of production, helping them to continue to develop.

Fair trade is a growing movement. In New Zealand you can purchase chocolate, coffee, handicrafts, spices, sugar and tea, among other commodities

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