Oxfam's Byres Road Bookshop and Glasgow University activists held a special showing of the film 'Black Gold' at Gilmorehill at Glasgow University on the 25th February 2008.

The film screening was to coincide with the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, which is encouraging people throughout the country to back fair trade producers and buy fair trade products. The internationally successful film highlights the injustice within the global coffee trade. 'Black Gold' tells the story of Tadesse Meskela, who is fighting to get a fair price for Ethiopian coffee farmers.

John Connolly, Manager of the Oxfam Book Shop on Byres Road said, "The coffee industry is worth over £80 billion. This makes coffee the most valuable commodity in the world after oil, yet many coffee farmers are living in dire poverty. 'Black Gold' highlights the injustices that the farmers face in trying to get a fair price for their coffee.

" This film confronts the imbalance from the crop to the cup. It is because of this imbalance that Oxfam shops promote and sell fair trade goods".

Judith Robertson, Head of Oxfam in Scotland added, "It is fitting the Byres Road Bookshop have organised this viewing at the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight. As promoters of Fair Trade goods they know that a lot of people are interested in the working conditions of people around the world.

" I have seen the film and it really brings home the message that poor farmers are not getting a fair price for their crops. I would urge the public to attend this screening as 'Black Gold' brings to the surface the challenges, which coffee farmers encounter on a daily basis and the need for us to support fair trade for workers all over the world. "

ENDS