|PIC1|Churchgoers in the Diocese of Carlisle have passed a ‘British Fairtrade’ resolution in a show of support for local farmers.

The resolution was passed at the Carlisle Diocesan Synod on Saturday. It affirms the importance of farming to Cumbria’s prosperity, culture and landscape and calls on the nation’s major supermarket chains to give British farmers a fair deal. It also asks Christians to buy food produced locally.

During the meeting, Nick Utting of the National Farmers’ Union said that farmers were dedicated to their trade but were struggling to make ends meet with declining incomes, increasing costs and burdensome bureaucracy.

Mr Utting said retailers had put additional pressure on farmers by taking a higher percentage of the sale price of their produce. While the percentage retained by retailers in 1995 was just three per cent, that figure has shot to 30 per cent in 2009, he said.

Synod member Julia Aglionby said the resolution sent a clear message that churchgoers were prepared to pay more for their food and go to greater trouble to purchase fairly traded produce.

Other Synod members pointed to the crucial role of farming as the “social glue” of the country and warned that its failure would be devastating for the rural church and communities.

They recommended buying online from local producers that have their own websites and shopping at supermarkets that stock Fairtrade goods and are committed to higher welfare standards in farming.

They warned consumers to consider the hidden costs to producers before buying cheap and convenient foods.

Diocesan senior clergy and officers are now exploring ways to effectively implement the resolution across the diocese.