Church members have been urged to support fairtrade after the news that one of the best-known brands, Traidcraft, said it may cease trading at the end of the year.
Traidcraft, which has been operating since 1979, blamed a ‘difficult economic climate’ for ethical consumption, including the weak pound. 68 people at the organisation’s Gateshead headquarters are facing redundancy.
In a blog for the Joint Public Issues Team (of which the Church of Scotland is part), former fairtrade business owner Ruth Murray warned that ‘a fairtrade business model has become increasingly untenable’.