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Why trade really matters in the fight against poverty

Related links: Aid, trade and the Millennium Development Goals | How can we get trade justice? | What can I do?


Trade matters in the fight against world povertyDFID is committed to making trade work for poor people. And Trade Matters is our guide to how trade could help the world's poorest people get out of poverty.

Our wealth is built on the breadth and choice of the markets we can sell to – or buy from. For many people economic poverty is rooted in their inability to trade – and trade is a vital route out of poverty.

There are a lot of ifs and buts on the way to a fairer world. But, if trade took off for the poorest countries, and if rich nations played fair with poor ones, by allowing them a decent foothold in Western markets, the world would take a giant step towards ending poverty.

Trade Matters is a 36-page booklet which explains how.

What's inside Trade Matters?

In this section, we've taken some of the best bits out of Trade Matters and put them online, with links to more information about trade, poverty and development.

A man with his hand upraised

What can I do? The sheer enormity of global poverty can make people feel powerless. But, your voice can make a difference in the global trade debate – as both voter and consumer.

You can write a letter to your MEP on getting Europe to make trade fairer for the poorest countries, buy fair trade goods, or join a campaign. It's all here.
A young African holding a plough

Trade means money coming into your household so that you can send the children to school or buy medicine if they are sick.

 Close up of Ethiopian roses

Blooming investment What happened when someone realised that Ethiopia's climate could be ideal for growing roses?
Sign saying "waiting"

If trade is to really benefit people in the poorest countries, it has to take place within a global trading system that gives everyone a fair chance.

 Sign reading African Fishermen Caught Out

History shows that protecting your own goods by handouts and taxes against competition from imports – doesn’t work in the long run.

Animation of tractor carrying tomatoes

Smarter farming Instead of being priced out of the market, some farmers are improving techniques to compete with imported produce.

 Boy in a white coat with earphones

Beyond trade Trade may be the single most potent tool in the fight against poverty, but it won’t work in isolation.

mobile phone

Services, not just goods, can boost developing country economies. For example, reliable banking facilities help attract incoming investment.

 A tin saying When is a sardine not a sardine?

Cutting red tape Traders in Lesotho discovered that red tape could be cut when they switched to a new tax method.