For two weeks each year at the end of February and start of March in churches and other organisations we think of people who grow our food and drinks, mine our gold and grow the cotton in our clothes. These people are often exploited, underpaid and can be affected by the direct consequences of global warming in the form of drought. A root cause of the inability to adapt to and mitigate climate change is poverty. This year’s theme for FT is “Choose the World you want”. It’s aim is to get climate justice for the world.
What needs to happen to ensure farmers and workers are put front and centre of conversations on how to tackle the climate crisis? We need to put pressure on politicians.
Since last Fairtrade Fortnight we have seen the G7 and COP26 take place. Over 33,000 campaigners joined 1.8m Fairtrade farmers and workers in backing the Be Fair With Your Climate Promise challengeto world leaders at the UN COP26 summit where the wealthiest nations were asked to invest in the expertise of farmers in the developing world who use sustainable farming methods. But frustration came as the wealthiest nations failed to recognise the urgent need to invest in farmer expertise by delaying their promised $100bn annual funding to the most climate vulnerable countries until 2023. That isn’t good enough.
We in church communities need to be louder than ever to make sure politicians turn their promises into action at COP27 in Cairo next year. The failure to deliver enough progress at COP26 makes it even more important that governments get serious next year.
What can we as a congregation do to “Choose the World we want”?
- Write to your MP about the importance of supporting developing world farmers
- By choosing Fairtrade you are fighting for improvements in producers’ livelihoods with collective strength through co-ops and their bargaining power with the protection of a Minimum Price and Fairtrade Premium.
- Order up fairtrade goods from the JTS website who supplied us with Kilombero rice during our Rice Challenge of 2019. The address is on the St Fillan’s website.
- Make Fairtrade part of your shopping trolley each time you shop.
- Pray for climate justice for the poor and vulnerable in countries threatened by the effects of climate change.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us more than ever how interconnected we are globally. This interconnection is at the very heart of the Fairtrade message and is where your role begins. You can be part of the Fairtrade movement, and you have the power to drive long-term change, not only with your shopping choices but with your support in spreading the message.
Thank you as ever for your support in all the mission done by St. Fillan’s.
