Local Campaign to Back Fair Trade

12.00.00am GMT Mon 22nd Sep 2003

At All Hallows Church on Saturday there was a campaign to promote "fair trade products" amongst local residents and MP Vincent Cable was amongst those who made a pledge to buy £2 of fairly traded products each month for the next two years.

The campaign is being led by Mr and Mrs Brown of Old Manor Drive Whitton - on behalf of the Christian Tear fund based in Teddington. They have now sold thousands of pounds worth of fair trade produce locally.

Vincent Cable said he "strongly supported the campaign which essentially involves helping poor people in poor countries working in satisfactory conditions to help themselves through trade rather than be dependent on charitable aid."

"In a sane world developing countries would be allowed to sell goods and services where they have a competitive advantage but we saw last week at the WTO that the US and the EU remain cynically committed to protecting the vested interests of big farmers and others. I attacked Patricia Hewitt in parliament this week for the utter feebleness of British ministers in these negotiations".

"The beauty of the fair trade scheme is that it enables local people to make their own personal contribution even if the politicians and lobbyists can't sort out the unfairness in the international trading system".