Fairtrade Fortnight: Your shopping choices can help fight poverty
Fairtrade is a global movement that aims to tip the balance of trade in favour of poor producers and countries. And Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 (23 Feb-8 March) is an opportunity to take part in that movement.
Trade is fundamental to achieving economic growth: providing jobs, improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.
Fairtrade has grown rapidly over the last decade, raising public awareness across Europe and North America of the situation of poor producers in poor countries, and how consumer choices affect livelihoods in developing countries.
DFID's ambition is that all our trade with developing countries is fair and sustainable. We support Fairtrade and other efforts to to bring more producers from developing countries into international trade in a way that contributes to their development.
Video: Fairtrade in action - Fairtrade coffee in Uganda
This short film from the Fairtrade Foundation documents Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative in East Uganda, whose farms are located in the Mbale district of eastern Uganda.
Consumer Power: What you can do
More than ever, what you buy makes a difference. Look at our interactive guide to some of the incredible stories behind some of your favourite purchases.
Ethical choices for a fairer world
Ethical Compass
Are you in touch with how your shopping choices impact on the people around you? Answer 10 quick questions to find out which 'shopping tribe' you belong to, and how your shopping choices can help fight global poverty.
Start the quiz
World on a Plate
World on a Plate offers some budget-friendly ideas for using ingredients from the developing world.
Plus: Read our recipe for chaat and chutney!
Sharing the benefits of trade
If trade took off for the poorest countries, and if rich nations played fair with poor ones, the world would take a giant step towards ending poverty. More on DFID's Trade policies.
Research on trade (opens in a new window)