18 October 2001

Media advisory

Green MPs to sign 'fair trade coffee' pledge

Media Invitations: Join us for organic coffee, cake and a chat about fair trade

Green Party Caucus Room, 14th floor, 4 pm

Green Party MPs will be marking Trade Aid's 'Fair Trade Fortnight' by signing the fair trade coffee pledge to highlight the issues facing small farmers around the world and to encourage people to support fair trade.

The pledge reads: 'We the undersigned pledge to support fairly traded coffee which pays a fair price (a living wage) to coffee farmers. In so doing we reject the brands of the coffee corporates, that result in huge profits being made at the expense of millions of small coffee farmers and their families who live in poverty worldwide'.

The pledge has already been signed by prominent people such as Sam Neill, cartoonist Garrick Tremain, Chris Laidlaw and the 'bug man' Ruud Kleinpaste, as well as thousands of fair trade supporters throughout New Zealand.

"The situation for small coffee farmers and their families has never been more desperate," said Rod Donald.

"World prices are the lowest they've been in decades yet coffee sales in the so-called first world are going through the roof. The farmers in Latin America, South East Asia and Central Africa see a ridiculously low return for their labours, while transnational corporates make a killing.

"The Green Party strongly supports Trade Aid's campaign. Trading fairly, especially with developing countries and co-operative groups in those countries, is a core element of our trade and economic policy, so we are delighted to sign the pledge," said Mr Donald.

"We hope other MPs will join us in supporting coffee farming families being able to earn a living wage so they can stay on their land, provide education for their children and implement safe working conditions and health programmes."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>