December 2007

This is an article published in The Baptist Times 6th December 2007 

Fairtrade begins at home. 

Have you noticed how God often causes you to stop and think about the fairness of life? There I was bumbling along with the usual routines of church when it was almost as if God caught hold of me by the scruff of the neck and forced me to look around.

That Sunday, I tucked into my well earned, post-service cup of tea, fairtrade of course, and listened to the hubbub of discussion engaging with my topic for that morning; “The Micah Challenge”. Like many churches, we had taken hold of the opportunity to highlight the crying need for justice and mercy across our world and I felt smugly pleased that dialogue was clearly taking place about how we could practice what I had just preached and we could all work at being fair, just and merciful.

But then my thoughts returned to the previous weeks harvest festival and the words of a visiting farmer rang in my ears; ‘I fear’, said Mrs Adams, ‘that within the next few years the UK farming industry could go the way of our mining industry’. What did she mean? Are things really so bad?

Such is the sense of crisis being felt at the farm gate, such are the problems being faced today by hard working people who get up at 4am to work 16 hour-long days, that they see little hope for the industry that has sustained numerous families and homes for generations. Straight from the horse-grazers mouth came the concern that their industry is facing a catastrophe.

How, I wondered, does this fit in with Micah’s call for justice and mercy?

Is it ‘fair’ that between 1996 and 2005, there has been a 53% decrease in UK dairy herds? Is it ‘just’ that every week, on average, 7 dairy farms are ceasing production? It didn’t feel very fair to me.

But then life goes on and my attention was diverted again, until that hand on my collar started to pull a little harder and I received a copy of a report written by The Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG). The report is entitled “Fairtrade begins at home” and here I found more horror stories to fuel my concern and more evidence that, for the typical British farmer, business and life are just not fair.

The EIAG, given the remit to look into the relationship between the major food retailers and farmers, found significant cause for concern and their report highlights a rapidly declining industry that many of us are simply ignorant about. Of course the Church of England has something of an interest in these areas; they are major investors in the retail food industry whilst also being landlord to many tenant farmers. As Baptists we are perhaps starting from a rather more humble point but are we not also in a position to take seriously the challenge of Micah, other Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself? Today, in a field near you UK farmers are crying out for nothing more radical than ‘a fair price for a fair product’. Does that seem unreasonable or unfair?

Today many farmers are forced to sell their produce significantly below cost and the pernicious business practices of major retailers threaten to cut even further into that already unsustainable situation.

In 1995 dairy farmers routinely received 58% of the retail price of milk whilst the retailer received just 1.3%. Ten years on the retailers margin has increased (to 31%) principally at the expense of the farmer/producer (36%).

 Furthermore ‘beef and sheep producers are making a loss on “virtually every animal”’ according to a recent announcement from the National Farmers Union. Add fears over FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease), AI (Bird Flu) and BTV (Bluetongue Disease), then consider the ongoing effects of flooding and we have a tragic concoction that spells potential disaster.

The church has always been at the forefront of the international campaign to ensure that people are rightly given a fair price for their crafts and goods, and yet it seems hard to escape the fact that we are ignoring the very same cry from within our own countryside. Surely this can’t be fair or just.

As Christmas approaches I find myself faced with a plethora of worthy charity catalogues, offering the opportunity to buy fair trade goats, pigs and ducks for Aunt Gladys. But I wonder if, I should include in my shopping a slightly different present which will also provide a tangible benefit in the local community; some British lamb or pork - reared on a nearby farm, purchased at a local farmers-market and prepared by a good, independent butcher!

The EIAG report concludes; ‘British farmers are not asking for special treatment but there is inequality and dysfunction within the supply chain requiring attention.’ As churches and as consumers, do we care? As those who delight in God’s creative genius reflected in our countryside, do we believe this matters? As Christians I believe we must fight for fairtrade at home with vigour and passion and seek justice and mercy in our own land?

© Revd Peter Burns.

Pastor, Castle Hill Baptist Church, Warwick.