Trade and Fairtrade
![Rice farmer Rodrigo Costanilla, father of seven, farms one hectare, rented from a land-owning family, and says rice is his livelihood [Annie Bungeroth]](/var/storage/images/media_folder/cafod/images/international_images/asia/philippines/rodrigo_costanilla_rice_farmer/44653-2-eng-GB/rodrigo_costanilla_rice_farmer_3column00_nospace_landscape.jpg)
International trade has the potential to lift millions of people out of poverty. But trade rules are stacked in favour of rich countries and companies
We are part of the Trade Justice Movement , campaigning for fundamental changes to these unjust rules and the institutions that govern them, such as the WTO (World Trade Organisation).
Rodrigo Costanilla (pictured) is a father of seven who farms one hectare, rented from a land-owning family, where he grows rice, fruit trees and vegetables, and keeps pigs and fish ponds.
He says, “Foreign rice in all the local markets is not helping small farmers increase their income. Because it is cheaper, people are not buying our rice, which is higher quality and healthier.
“The produce and income from the land on small farms such as mine is divided between lots of people, not just taken by one owner. It is my livelihood and, if it were taken away, it is the equivalent of death."
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Take action now - make your parish, diocese or town a Fairtrade one - many others have already done so successfully! |
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Secondary school teachers: Materials and resources for the classroom |
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Prayers and spirituality resources and materials |
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Primary school teachers: Learning about Fairtrade is an extremely powerful way for children to find out about what goes on in the world, and is an opportunity to learn how individual choices can make a real difference to people's lives |
![A tea-plucker for Fairtrade [Fairtrade Foundation]](/var/storage/images/media/cafod/images/miscellaneous/fairtrade/a_tea_plucker_for_fairtrade/9273-1-eng-GB/a_tea_plucker_for_fairtrade_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg) |
The global costs of unfair trade |
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![Mourning those killed in violent clashes in Lima June 7, 2009 [REUTERS/Pilar Olivares, courtesy www.alertnet.org]](/var/storage/images/news/peru-2009-06-08/mourning-those-killed/1055946-1-eng-GB/mourning-those-killed_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg) | Peru: Need to respect human rights Respect your people and their human rights, CAFOD tells Peruvian government after indigenous people are killed |
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Reports & research: International trade has the potential to lift millions of people out of poverty. But trade rules are stacked in favour of rich countries and companies |
 | Cadbury Dairy Milk to go Fairtrade Success tastes sweet for thousands of cocoa farmers as the UK’s top-selling chocolate bar will go Fairtrade |
