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50 Reasons to buy Fair Trade by Miles Litvinoff and John Madeley, published by Pluto Press, will be released on 26th February 2007 to mark the start of Fairtrade Fortnight 2007. Planned promotions include an author tour to Fairtrade Towns and an appearance at the Peak Literary Festival in the UK.

The book shows how consumers can benefit both people and the planet and can improve and even save lives. 50 Reasons to buy Fair Trade provides answers to some some not-so-easy questions that vex the minds of the public on fair trade issues like:

• It is a growing global movement but why is it so important?
• Where do I buy fair trade products?
• What else is there apart from bananas and coffee?
• How is mainstream trade exploitative?

The CONTENTS of the book are:

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Back a system that benefits the poor The mainstream trading system is failing the poor. Fair trade offers partnership in place of exploitation.

Pay small-scale growers a fairer price Fair trade raises incomes of small-scale farmers and boosts local economies. The fair trade farm-gate price is the key to a better life for hundreds of thousands of families.

Buy products you can trust There are now over 1,500 Fairtrade-certified products--and even more fair trade goods besides!

Help producers believe in tomorrow The “social premium” included in the fair trade price you pay for Fairtrade-certified products may be small. But it makes a major difference when the rural poor put the money to work. And it benefits both young and old.

Make trade more democratic International trade is mostly undemocratic, controlled by large corporations. Fair trade helps more people control their own lives

Put a human face on development There’s a lot of debate about “development”. Fair trade puts many of the best ideas into practice. This small-scale Chilean honey-producers’ co-operative provides a perfect example.

Ensure plantation workers earn a living wage Plantation workers can be among the poorest of the poor. With fair trade they receive a proper wage and decent conditions.

Empower women and girls Women produce most of the food and craftwork and make most of the clothes in developing countries. But they’re still often treated as second-class citizens. Buying fair trade is a great way to support the fight for gender equality.

Bring hope to coffee growers An expansion of the market for Fairtrade-certified coffee offers hope for coffee growers--not least the basic hope of eating.

Save a cotton farmer’s life Buying fair trade pyjamas can help prevent suicides among Indian cotton farmers. Sounds far-fetched? Read on and decide for yourself.

Be part of a growing global movement Link up with one of the most exciting developments for years!

Say Nuts! to unfair trade It’s hard to make a living from nuts whether you grow or gather them. As with most developing country crops, the terms of trade are simply unfair. Fair trade nuts offer producers a better deal.

Enjoy real quality, produced with pride For quality, today’s fair trade products take some beating. They are grown and made by people who have a real stake in what they are doing.

Send a child to school Time and again, producers and plantation workers say how important fair trade is in helping their children generation get a good education.

Help make poverty history Buying fair trade help producers build more sustainable businesses and make poverty history for themselves.

Make your town a fair trade town Fairtrade towns, cities, boroughs, villages, counties, universities, colleges, schools and places of worship are breaking out all over the UK and Ireland. Organise your own local initiative and spread the word.

Build confidence, reduce risk Millions of farmers worldwide have seen the value of their produce plummet. Here’s how fair trade’s guaranteed minimum price works.

Give someone’s health a boost Workplace health and safety, and free or affordable health care, are things we in the West mostly take for granted. Both can be hard to come by in the global South, but not so hard for people linked up with the fair trade system.

Promote human rights The United Nations says that every person is entitled to enjoy development in which all human rights are fully realised. Fair trade promotes human dignity, rights and freedom.

Free child carpet workers South Asian children are exploited every day in appalling conditions making oriental-style rugs and carpets for export. But when you buy under the Rugmark label you can be sure no illegal under-age child labour has been used.

Bypass the middlemen Fair trade coffee is sold direct from co-operatives to roasters such as Cafédirect. Sorry, middlemen!

Drink to a better world Enjoying a glass of Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc is not the most obvious way to help a poor family build a home or get their children to school. But opening a bottle of fair trade wine means doing something practical to make the world a better place.

Transform lives “Fair trade has transformed the lives of small farmers,” says banana grower Regina Joseph. Here’s how.

Give bad balls the boot The people who sew fair trade footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and rugby balls get a living wage, decent working conditions, medical care and low-cost loans. That’s a real first in the sportsball industry.

Stamp out pesticide poisoning Chemical pesticides poison 20,000 people a year and have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Fair Trade growers either use natural, organic pest control or are steadily reducing pesticide use.

Travel with respect Fair trade travel, community or ethical tourism, “people to people” tours – call it what you like – does more than pay a fair wage for the services people provide. It gives you a fuller experience without harming the local environment or exploiting local people. Be a friend of the Earth Environment friendly. That’s fair trade! In the fair trade system, people are likely to use the higher returns and the premiums they receive to improve their environment.

End child exploitation Millions of children worldwide are exploited, trafficked and enslaved by adults for money, and some are injured or die as a result. It’s hard to know whether children have been exploited in producing your food, drink and other purchases – unless you buy fair trade.

Lift the debt burden Small-scale farmers and craftspeople are often burdened by heavy debts to moneylenders. They can borrow what they need at lower cost through fair trade.

Say no to GMOs Besides posing health and environmental risks that are poorly understood, farming based on genetically modified crops threatens livelihoods of small-scale farmers in poor countries. Fair trade helps keep the giant biotech companies in check.

Do something funky with your furniture From coffee tables to dining-room suites, more and more fair trade furniture ranges are ranges are now available.

Rebuild lives and livelihoods Fair trade has helped communities in the South recover from disasters like the 2004 tsunami and hurricanes Mitch and Stan. It’s not just the money. Long-term relationships prove their worth in times of trouble.

Make transnationals trade more fairly Fair trade is a model of how international trade can and should be. There are signs that it’s starting to put pressure on the big corporations to clean up their act.

Put paid to sweatshops Worker exploitation is still all too common in the world’s textile and clothing industries. Buying fair trade supports a genuine alternative that guarantees decent working conditions for all.

Buy into a longer-term relationship Fair trade importers sign long term agreements with suppliers, sharing knowledge and commitment to help farmers succeed.

Show solidarity with Palestinian farmers Both Palestinians and Israelis have suffered immensely from conflict in the Middle East. Palestinian farming communities have been among the worst hit economically. Now there’s a way to enjoy flavoursome food while acting in solidarity.

Reach for the MDGs The world has set itself the enormous challenge of halving poverty by 2015. Fair trade, our purchasing power, will help get us there.

Be a progressive coffee drinker Our high streets are full of coffee shops. Most of the coffee chains will sell you a cup of fair trade. But only one of them is co-owned by the coffee growers. That’s Progreso.

Send hope to a hungry country How Fairtrade certified mangos are making a huge difference to people’s lives in West Africa.

Co-operate with co-operatives Co-operatives and fair trade belong together.

Prove the free-trade eggheads wrong Some free trade economists disagree with fair trade. They say it distorts world markets, making everybody worse off in the long run. Here’s why they are wrong.

Make tomorrow’s business happen today Tomorrow’s best companies will make many of today’s ruthless, short-sighted businesses look like dinosaurs. Fair trade is one of the best models we have for taking capitalism on to a new, higher level.

Vote for trade justice The movement for trade justice is growing all around the world. Fair trade is part of the solution.

Enjoy that sweeter taste Whether you’re an occasional nibbler or an out-and-out chocoholic, buying fair trade chocolate leaves a sweeter taste in the mouth.

Celebrate in March--and again in May In the first two weeks of March and on the second Saturday of May each year, fair trade organisations, campaigners and shoppers celebrate a better way of doing business.

Make markets really work for the poor Fair trade organisations know more than most about the way markets impact on poor people. And they have a pretty good record of delivering support and assistance where they’re most needed.

Invest in the future You can invest in the future by investing in fair trade.

Keep families and communities together Family farms and rural communities are under threat everywhere from global economic forces. Fair trade helps them survive and thrive.

Defend diversity Everybody’s in favour of diversity these days. Fair trade’s commitment runs deeper than most.

Change the world! We can change the world when we shop.

Notes and sources Appendix 1 Where to buy fair trade Appendix 2 Fairtrade Towns and other areas in the UK Appendix 3 Where to find out more

Index