And Fairtrade CONTENTS
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Islam and Fairtrade CONTENTS 3 What is Fairtrade? 4 What is the Fairtrade Foundation? 5 What does Islam say about fair trade? 7 Your questions answered 10 What Fairtrade means to farmers and workers 13 Becoming a Fairtrade Mosque 15 Taking Fairtrade into the community – Towns, Schools, Workplaces 17 Activities in your mosque 19 Further information 20 Fairtrade and Ramadan what is fairtrade? 3 Fairtrade is a simple, powerful way to make a difference to the people who grow the things we love. Fairtrade stands for changing the way trade works, The FAIRTRADE Mark means that: through fair prices and better working conditions. This guide The producer received a price shows how Fairtrade and Islam that covered their average costs share common values and of sustainable production, plus the perspectives. There’s lots of ways Fairtrade Premium – a little extra to support Fairtrade through your money to invest in their business or mosque, your workplace or community projects of their choice. through what you buy. Workers on plantations have rights Choosing products with the to decent wages, to join unions FAIRTRADE Mark means producers and work in safe conditions. receive a fairer price for their hard work plus a little extra – the Fairtrade Farmers and workers, including Premium – that farmers and workers women, have the opportunity to can spend on projects to benefit have their voices heard. their business or community. Allah shows mercy to a Producers must meet the Fairtrade man who is kind when he Standards, which cover social, economic and environmental sells, when he buys and aspects. It’s important to know that ‘when he makes a claim. Fairtrade is the only certification label Bukhari 50 percent owned by the farmers and workers themselves. They are part of the most important decisions ’ about how the worldwide movement works together and what it does. What is the Fairtrade Foundation? Fairtrade is a global movement with a strong and active presence in the UK, represented 4 by the Fairtrade Foundation. Here’s a snapshot... Generated from UK fairtrade sales Over 1,480 Fairtrade Schools 601 in the UK Fairtrade towns in the UK We are the independent non-profit organisation behind the FAIRTRADE Mark, which we license for use on products in the UK that meet Fairtrade Standards. We help to bring together producers, consumers, campaigners and business to build a citizens’ movement for change. What does Islam say about Fair trade? 5 Trade has a rich heritage in Islamic business are reflected in the history. Trading was central to Fairtrade Standards, which cover the lives of early Muslims, and so fair prices, decent working there are numerous Islamic conditions and equality among teachings and instructions in the farmers and workers. area of trade and business ethics. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) The Prophet (pbuh) promotes these was a successful trader himself. principles throughout his teachings, His trading reputation as well as his saying: ‘Your brothers are your other responsibilities was such that responsibility. Allah has made them he was known as ‘Al-Amin – the under your hands. So whosoever Trustworthy One’. Muslims today has a brother under his hand, let continue to strive to emulate the him give him food as he eats and Prophet’s (pbuh) character and this dress as he dresses. Do not give includes his business etiquette. them work that will overburden them and if you do give them The Islamic principles of respect, such a task then provide them dignity and fairness in trade and with assistance’ (Bukhari). Hilful Fudl A famous example of Islamic commercial dealings is the 7th century alliance known as Hilful Fudl or ‘Oath of Excellence’. The alliance was created by Meccans to establish fairness 6 in trade after a merchant was wronged. The Prophet (pbuh) was among the members who agreed to the pact (formed before his prophethood). It has played a significant role in Islamic ethics, laying foundations of human rights and justice. The Prophet (pbuh) held the alliance in high esteem. After receiving the message of Islam, the Prophet (pbuh) continued to acknowledge and respect the pact, stating that ‘If I was to take part in it now in Islam, I would still do so.’ This core of fairness and equitable dealing remains a central part of Islamic teaching and behaviour, and has close parallels with the values and practices of Fairtrade. Are Fairtrade products Your questions more expensive? answered How do I know that farmers and workers 7 benefit when I buy a Fairtrade product? Not necessarily. There’s a huge range out there, from supermarket own-brands to high-end luxury products. However, Fairtrade is unlikely to be the cheapest product in-store for a few reasons: The international Fairtrade system • The Fairtrade Minimum Price is monitors and audits product supply paid to producers to cover the chains to make sure that producers average costs of sustainable receive the Fairtrade Minimum production, however low world Price, and that the farmers, market prices fall. workers and their communities are • Independent certification, auditing benefiting from the investment of and traceability programmes cost the Fairtrade Premium. FLOCERT money to implement, and these is an independent certification and costs are built into the price of the auditing organisation that audits product through the supply chain. producer organisations and traders • The Fairtrade Premium, and other to ensure they meet the Fairtrade investments by companies in the Standards and that producers producers they source from, funds receive their Fairtrade Premium. business and community projects. • When a Fairtrade product is new to market, volumes may be small, so marketing, transportation, manufacture and packaging can be more expensive. As sales and volumes increase, the product costs often go down. 8 Is the quality of Fairtrade Is buying Fairtrade products products as good as my a good idea given concerns favourite brands? about climate change? Take a closer look, some of your Producers must meet environmental favourite products may already be standards as part of certification. Fairtrade! The Fairtrade Premium Producers are required to work to often enables farmers to improve protect the natural environment and their quality and become more make environmental protection a economically stable, reliable part of farm management. They suppliers. In 2014, small producer are also encouraged to minimise organisations spent 37 percent the use of energy, especially from of their Fairtrade Premium on non-renewable sources. investments to support productivity or quality. When you choose Fairtrade, you’re offering farmers and workers a way to invest in making their communities more secure through the Fairtrade Premium. They are able to choose to set up projects which help them tackle the effects of climate change, which their lifestyles have done so little to cause. These could include planting trees to shade crops, irrigation projects or changing to drought-resistant crops. 9 For example, coffee farmers in Climate change hits the poorest in Costa Rica have used the Fairtrade developing countries hardest. This Premium to replant trees to prevent includes people whose livelihoods soil erosion and have invested in depend on agriculture. Through environmentally friendly ovens, the Fairtrade Premium farmers and fuelled by recycled coffee hulls and workers have a little extra to use the dried shells of macadamia nuts. when harvests fail. This means that they no longer need to cut forest trees and so Get the answers to more can preserve the rainforest and FAQs at fairtrade.org.uk/ the oxygen it produces. what-is-fairtrade/faqs what fairtrade means to farmers and workers The impact of Fairtrade on date farmers in Tunisia 10 More than 1.5 million farmers and workers in 74 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America are part of Fairtrade. Fairtrade in the Middle East is a small but growing producer base, as the case of dates in Tunisia shows. The Groupement de Développement de l’Agriculture Biodynamique (GDABD) is based in Hazoua, the last small town in Tunisia before the Algerian border. The area around Hazoua is desert, with very little vegetation, interspersed with salt lakes. In the summer months of July-August, temperatures in this area can climb to 45-50°C. The group is made up of 60 farmers, who each have an average of one hectare of date palms, arranged in symmetrical blocks near the town. The farmers have worked to receive organic and biodynamic certifications to help them add value and get a higher price for their dates. However, finding a market to sell their dates is still an ongoing challenge for the group. Selling 11 more dates on Fairtrade terms will result in increased Fairtrade Premium, enabling them to continue investing in their land and community. I’d like to see the amounts Using Fairtrade dates at times of sold as Fairtrade grow to a celebration and breaking fast is a level where we can deliver great way to support farmers and ‘a lot more impact, the impact workers, in the knowledge that that we dream of. you are choosing products that Saidi Bobaker change lives. The date palms work to fight We are very happy with desertification, creating’ oases in the Fairtrade because it has desert. Date palms are planted near delivered real benefits to deep wells, with channels running ‘us. However they are only alongside each plot. The water is small volumes, and it is heavily salinated and is pumped back into the desert once used. not very big at the moment. Farmers in the area are piloting the I hope it develops more. use of drip irrigation. Using two Fairtrade helps to protect small water fountains next to each the interests of the farmers, tree can deliver more targeted use with the minimum prices.