Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution made by the Fairtrade movement to improving the lives of people employed in the supply chains of Fairtrade products.

The UK government is a strong supporter of the Fairtrade movement, which plays an important role in helping producers around the world improve their lives by ensuring that farmers receive fair prices for their products, workers receive better wages and by making agricultural practices more sustainable. Fairtrade provides a minimum price for sales, as well as a premium, and certifies smallholder and plantation supply chains, as well as extractives such as gold. More than 1.65 million farmers and workers worldwide have benefitted from being part of Fairtrade certified producer organisations.