Fairtrade Churches: Promoting Economic Justice

This page outlines steps congregations and dioceses can take towards achieving Fairtrade status. Also see the resources on the Fairtrade website's Convert Your Church or Synagogue page.

Three Goals for a Fairtrade Church

Use Fairtrade tea and coffee for all meetings for which you have responsiblity (i.e., after church, vestry meetings, etc.).
Move forward on using other Fairtrade products (i.e., sugar, biscuits and fruit).
Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade fortnight and through other activities whenever possible.

Five Goals for a Fairtrade Diocese

Synod passes a resolution: (i) to support and promote Fairtrade and further encourage the use and sale of Fairtrade products in the diocese; and (ii) to serve only Fairtrade coffee and tea at meetings it is responsible for.
Encourage your congregations to adopt the same policy. As far as possible, display literature/notices at all of these places advertising the fact that Fairtrade products are used and served there.
Ensure that Fairtrade tea, coffee and other products, if possible, are used and/or sold by more than 50% of the Episcopal churches in the diocese.
Try to utilise media coverage and popular support for the campaign - to raise the awareness of the Fairtrade Mark within the diocese. If possible, make reference to your Fairtrade status on your website.
If there is not one already, establish a Fairtrade steering group to take responsibility for monitoring that goals continue to be met and are developed over a period of time.

What Can Individuals Do?

Buy Fairtrade goods when you're out shopping.
If you don't see any Fairtrade goods - ask! Shops will stock goods their customers ask for.
Promote Fairtrade in your church and diocese - get signed up for official Fairtrade status.
Persuade other churches and faith groups as well as schools to do the same.
Get Fairtrade status for your city, town, or village.
Give a talk about Fairtrade. You can do this yourself, or get someone from SCIAF or the Fairtrade Foundation.
Reflect on what the Bible has to say about trade and justice.
Arrange to have a regular Fairtrade stall in your church or church hall.
Hold a special event, such as a Fiartrade breakfast or coffee morning.
Have a cheese and wine social evening - and make sure the wine is Fairtrade. It's a great way to raise awareness and to get to know more people in your parish or congregation.
Make sure everyone is involved. You could run a Fairtrade tuck shop for children (of all ages!) for example.