Manifesto of the Poor

Manifesto of the Poor shows how Fairtrade has evolved practical and tested solutions to alleviate poverty. Written by the co-founder of Fairtrade, Francisco Van der Hoff Boersma, read the inside story of how the campesino movement started, and see how they organised democratically run cooperatives and cut out the middleman. Today, as a result, a wide variety of Fairtrade products are sold directly to home and export markets worldwide at a fair price for both consumers and producers. Fairtrade makes perfect sense in an imperfect world. It transforms buying goods into an ethical and pleasurable experience. Fairtrade gives power back to the people, enabling us to develop a more ecologically balanced and less exploitative world. 'In the midst of an economic crisis Father Frans van der Hoff asks us to occupy the market with solidarity and justice and create economies that work for people, not corporations. Creating living economies as part of Earth Democracy is not just possible; it has become necessary for peace justice and sustainability.' Vandana Shiva, Recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, Ecofeminist, and author of several books including, Earth Democracy. 'Weaving thirty years experience of working amongst the campesinos of Mexico with deep insights into the structural violence systemic in liberalism and globalisation, Father Fran's inspiring and thought-provoking Manifesto offers us a practical and essential solution to the inherent inhumanity of capitalism: the solidarity economy, where people and Earth - and not the corporation - have the allegiance of those they feed.' Mark Boyle, author of The Moneyless Manifesto.