What is Fairtrade?

In essence, Fairtrade is simple. Companies involved buy direct from producers in poor countries, paying a fair price for their products - enough to coverproduction, the cost of living and sending kids to school. Because producers work with Fairtrade buyers on longer term contracts, and because the price is stable, itallows the producers to confidently plan for the future.

Why do we need it?

International trade is not fair. It discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. When world prices fall, the first to feel the pinch are the growers and producers whose income immediately drops often to prices that don''t cover production costs. Yet prices in the shops remain the same. Fairtrade gives over five million workers, farmers and theifamilies in the global South better trade terms these standards by regularly inspecting suppliers and contracts.

So, what''s available?

More than 1,000 products carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK - from tea to fresh fruit to wine and beer and many of them are available in supermarkets and wholefood shops in Bristol. You can now even buy Fairtrade certified clothing and cotton wool made from cotton grown by small farmers in India, Peru, Mali and Senegal.

Do producers really benefit?

In addition to a fair and stable purchase price paid by importers, producers receive a ''social premium'' of, for example, five cents pepound of coffee. The farmers and growers themselves decide how this extra money is spent. It is generally used to build schools, health centres or other social facilities, although it may also be used to enable growers to improve productivity or reduce reliance on single commodities.

Producers are accountable for their use of the social premium to the Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). The FLO is the international body comprising the Fairtrade Foundation and its partner organisations in other countries.

Is Fairtrade asubsidy?

No. That would add to the problem. Subsidies are government payments to producers to encourage production and/or consumption of a particulaproduct. This lowers prices and makes them more competitive than imported goods. The taxpayer and the consumer foot the bill for this.

Fairtrade is a voluntary model of trade that brings consumers and companies together to offer small-scale farmers a fair price for their produce.

Oversupply is usually the result of (for example) coffee growers increasing production when prices are high. The recent surge in coffee production and consequent low prices is mostly a result of largescale farm expansion in Brazil, and government export policies in Vietnam. This was encouraged by international finance institutions. Suffering from the low prices, many small-scale farmers and producers struggle to survive.

The Fairtrade price allows producers the breathing space to consider alternatives. Perhaps another crop could be introduced alongside the coffee beans, or maybe production could veeinto the specialist coffee market where there''s more money to be made.

These decisions take time and confidence to get moving, and Fairtrade helps support that.

How about GMO andorganic food?

There is a wide choice of organic products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark and the range is increasing steadily. At the moment there are no GMO crops in the categories covered by the FAIRTRADE Mark. The Fairtrade Foundation and its partners would consult widely with producers and take account of any public concern before allowing the use of GMOs. The key factor for Fairtrade organisations is whether such developments would help producers in developing countries.

Fairtrade or fairly traded?

Many organisations and companies apply ethical fair trade principles to their business. The largest of these are Oxfam and Traidcraft, which are publicly accountable. However, not all companies that make ''faitrade'' claims can be trusted. The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only independent consumer guarantee that ensures producers receive faiterms of trade. The FAIRTRADE Mark, the Foundation''s ''seal of approval'', appears only on products meeting Fairtrade standards. This doesn''t automatically mean that anything not carrying the FAIRTRADE mark isn''t worthy of your support, just that you need to be healthilysceptical about it.

Anything else I should know?

The Fairtrade movement has been gathering momentum over the past few years as more consumers become aware of the exploitation of poorer producers. Fairtrade also reconnects the consumer with producers. You choose where your money goes, knowing that if you buy Fairtrade, five million workers and their families will benefit.

It''s also a chance to add your voice to the thousands of others in this country that led to Fairtrade product consumption increasing by 91% between 2001 and 2003. Sales in 2004 reached £140 million, and total sales for 2005 will exceed that. That's a strong vote for fairer trade from the British public.