When Fair Trade fortnight begins this Sunday the challenge will be laid down for Christians to think about who produces their coffee, tea and chocolate.
The Fairtrade labelling system has come about as a response to massive imbalances in the prices paid for commodities to Third World producers.
Powerful multinationals have dictated the prices farmers, who are already living in poverty, receive and pushing them to breaking point.
Tribes and Nations is a family business run by Grant and Mignonne Murray that aims to provide a market bridge between poor communities and the West.
The Christian couple say time spent in Tanzania from 1997 was a steep learning curve.
"Our experiences were rich, mixed with great joy but also deep sadness," Grant says.
"We worked for the Anglican Church in youth and women's work, mainly at village level among the poor. We saw the harshness and injustice of poverty."
Mignonne saw possibilities for change in the Tanzanian village she visited twice weekly.
"I got the mothers' group a sewing machine, material and thread. They taught themselves to sew by unpicking and examining a garment! Thus began a micro industry " their enthusiasm was fantastic and vision boundless," she says.
After much hard thought and prayer, Tribes and Nations was born.
A number of Sydney Anglican Churches have jumped on board with Fairtrade fortnight in a big way.
All Souls, Leichhardt serves Tribes and Nations Fairtrade coffee and tea at their weekly church café every Saturday morning.
Holy Trinity, Wentworth Falls will be holding a Fairtrade seminar with Fairtrade coffee, tea, chocolate and dessert on Saturday May 12 at 7:30pm.
We are running a Moore College mission April 29- May 6
On Saturday May 5 St Peters, Cooks River is running a fair trade morning at 10:30 am. Mignonne will be speaking on how Christians can love people through what they buy.
For a full list of events and more information on Fair Trade fortnight visit the Fair Trade Association website.
