Christian aid is trying to make it possible for trade work for poor people a thing off the past. Trade is an immensely powerful force, but it is also a global trading system that leaves half the world living in poverty

• Stop forcing poor countries to open their markets and allow them to support their traders;
• Introduce legally binding regulations for big business’
• Stop rich country protectionism that hurts poor people.
• Ensure trade policy is made in a fair democratic way.

TOP TEN FACTS!

1. International trade is worth $10 billion a minute.
2. Poor countries account for only 0.4% of world trade since 1980 their share has halved.
3. The United Nations estimates that unfair trade rules deny poor countries $700 billion every year. Less than 0.01% of this could save the sight of 30 million.
4. Income per person in the poorest countries in Africa has fallen by ¼ in the last 20 years.
5. The 3 richest people in the world control more wealth than all 600 million in the world’s poorest countries.
6. Nearly half the worlds’ population (2.8 billion people) live on less than 2 U.S dollars per day.
7. The prices of many poor countries key exports are the lowest they have been in 150 years.
8. Global trade is regulated through policies and priorities set by international institutes, including rules made by the world trade organisation and conditions attached to loans provided by the World Bank and international monetary fund. Governments control these bodies.
9. At the last full meeting of the world trade organisation, the EU had 500 negotiators and Haiti had none.
10. After the last round of Trade negotiations rich countries estimated that they would gain $141.8 billion per year and Africa would be $2.6 billion worse off.

Christian Aid also believes that the Christian gospel demands that we do all we can to challenge injustice and inequality, and to work for a world where everyone is included in the feast of life.