Along with US subsidies, these unfair trade rules are estimated to lose West African countries around $250million every year.
The Christian-Muslim Youth Forum on Trade Justice, organised by MADE in Europe and the Christian Muslim Forum, was hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and Maulana Shahid Raza, Chair of the Mosque & Imam National Advisory Board. Traidcraft, along with Fairtrade Foundation, ONE, Christian Aid, Oxfam and London Diocese Fairtrade Group, facilitated a series of workshops to discuss how their faith inspires them to take action on trade justice.
The young people made pledges to mobilise their faith communities to support the campaign to end unfair global trade rules which favour the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalised, sidelining cotton farmers in West African countries like Mali, Chad and Benin. They will hand over their statement to Rt Hon Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs later in the year in advance of the EU negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy.
Zeenat Azmi, 25, the Muslim youth participant who sat on the panel commented, “This is a crucial time to renegotiate for a better deal for cotton producers in the developing world by reforming EU policies that encourage overproduction. Addressing trade injustice is essential for sustainable change in developing nations in the long term and it is in all our interests and at the core of our faith to work towards a more equal world.”
