EAST Renfrewshire’s Member of Parliament is backing an initiative which supports farmers and workers from developing countries.

Kirsten Oswald took part in a ‘Fairtrade Break’ at Westminster that was designed to make consumers think about those who produce everyday items.

The Don’t Feed Exploitation campaign is based on the fact that smallholder farmers provide the majority of the UK’s tea and coffee, yet one in three of those who live in Kenya’s tea and coffee-growing regions live in poverty.

Over two million children work in hazardous conditions in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, while the average Ivorian cocoa farmer lives on less than 40p a day.

Ms Oswald said: “It was helpful to attend the Fairtrade event in Parliament and hear more about the Don’t Feed Exploitation campaign.

“East Renfrewshire has always shown strong support for Fairtrade, with our churches, schools and many local businesses being involved with the Fairtrade movement.

“This campaign encourages us to look at what we are consuming during our tea-break and look for the Fairtrade logo on our coffee, tea and snacks.

“By consuming Fairtrade products, we’re helping people in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty.”