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MRDF goes Fairtrade bananas!
MRDF and Methodist Church staff went completely bananas for Fairtrade in March.
With giant inflatable bananas on display and the MRDF team sporting Ethiopian farmers' hats, over 50 people took part in the challenge at Methodist Church House. They joined more than 400,000 people around the UK in the world's biggest Fairtrade banana-eating event.
In addition to posing for photos and eating bananas topped with cream and honey, Director of MRDF, Kirsty Smith, reminded us of the importance of supporting fairer trade deals for those people who produce much of our food but struggle to feed their own families.
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Photo: MRDF |
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Bananas are a particularly good example of the need for improved trade agreements. Despite being the most popular fruit in the world, the price of bananas has plummeted in recent years. This is very bad news for the producers and plantation workers – many of whom don't earn enough to support their families anyway. Through buying Fairtrade, we are ensuring producers receive a minimum price and Fairtrade premium, which in turn enables them to continue to earn a decent living and support their families.
MRDF particularly backs the Fairtrade campaign because many of its own partners experience this daily struggle of putting enough food on the table. On a recent visit to Zambia, Brook Hayes from MRDF learnt of the impact that the removal of a government transport system for produce had on rural farming communities. Unable to afford their own transport to take grain into the town to sell, the small-scale farmers fell prey to middlemen who cheated them out of fair deals. But their prospects are now looking up, thanks to the work of MRDF's partner. This local organisation not only provides seeds and training on crop diversification and drying techniques, but also establishes self-help groups encouraging farmers to work together and cut out the middlemen.
7.5 million people – farmers, workers and their families – throughout the world now have more security and control over their lives, thanks to fair trade. Last year, MRDF worked with over 5,500 small-scale farmers across Africa, Asia and Latin America to help them break out of the cycle of poverty and earn a decent living.
Please support MRDF in making more small miracles possible for some of the world's poorest communities. Donations can be made by debit or credit card on 020 7224 4814, or by cheque, payable to “MRDF”, posted to MRDF, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR.
Taxpayers are encouraged to gift aid their donations where possible, adding a value of 28p to every pound they give, at no extra personal cost.
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