Faith communities and Fair Trade Towns in the UK: Raising awareness of sustainable development

Drawing on my research of Luton Fair Trade Town, in this article I argue that faith communities, working in partnership with Fair Trade Towns, are well-placed to raise awareness of sustainable development. I will discuss the ability of faith communities to raise awareness and bring about change towards sustainable development, utilizing both social and spiritual capital. An analysis focusing on social capital highlights the ability of faith communities to bridge different sections of society, issues and geographies. Spiritual capital concentrates on the motivation to action and this can provide a challenge to the status quo and a vision of how society can work differently, offering a necessary contribution to working towards a sustainable future.