The Future of Fairtrade Part #3 - Reaching the Poorest of the Poor

I met Malcolm Bruce MP recently, chairman of the International Development Committee. He is a supporter of Fair Trade but also challenged us: how do we reach the poorest of the poor?

Whilst the FAIRTRADE Mark is a important guarantee for consumers in the West and provides a huge contribution to development, it also requires a level of organisation & consistency that excludes many of the poorest people on the planet. Moreover many product categories such as stationery & jewellery defy the product-standard approach that the FAIRTRADE Mark currently requires.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is by far the most recognised symbol of the movement. But many organisations involved are seeking to go beyond this set of minimum standards. For example:

- Fair Trade pioneers like People Tree are so important as they go beyond the FAIRTRADE Mark and implement additional steps throughout their supply chain to ensure a broader definition of what it means to be Fair Trade.
- Fairgift takes a similar approach in homeware and are working hard to increase the range of products from poorer communities, e.g. in sub-Saharan Africa by provide design & production advice on products.
- Traidcraft Exchange does this on an event bigger scale: working directly with organisations that are currently too small to qualify for the FAIRTRADE Mark - such as small-scale tea producers in India.
- Divine Chocolate - provides a different model as it works closely with one large scale co-operative in Ghana that co-owns the UK-based company.

The future of Fair Trade must be to provide a guarantee to consumers in the UK that is as reliable as the FAIRTRADE Mark and at the same time accessible to producers in some of the poorest communities in the world that are unable to organise themselves into a product-standard approach. The international body IFAT is currently consulting on this very issue.

What are your thoughts?

The Future of Fairtrade Part #2: Producer-Consumer Connections

Fairtrade has the biggest impact when producers and consumers connect.

• When someone in a relatively wealthy country like the UK realises the difference their purchase makes to the lives of producers in some of the poorest communities in the world, this is the life-affirming experience that turns many people into loyal Fairtrade purchasers or campaigners.

• And livelihoods & supply chains are transformed when producers in those marginalised communities are empowered with the necessary knowledge, investment and market access to sell their products to the relatively wealthy consumers elsewhere in the world.

This connection is how the Fair Trade movement started in the 1970s. Ordinary people in the UK & other countries responding to the news of workers conditions in countries like Sri Lanka and demanding a different approach to trade via campaigns & organisations such as Oxfam, Christian Aid and the World Development Movement

The Future of Fairtrade Part #1: Scale

Fairtrade is tiny: despite recognition levels of over 70% and sales of £500million per year, it is just a small fraction of total retail spend in the UK.

Although it benefits 7 million farmers/producers and immediate family members - this number is also tiny in comparison to the 2billion people in the world living on less than $2 per day. Moreover, the UN estimates that the recent hike in food & fuel prices has pushed an additional 100 million people globally into extreme poverty.

In order for Fairtrade to have a real impact in tackling global poverty it must grow rapidly by several thousand percent. Or the movement must have an impact that reaches out far beyond just selling products that are Fairtrade certified.

One of the most pioneering organisations that seeks to do both these things is Traidcraft Exchange. For example, they have set up a three year project to help develop sales of Fairtrade within India. With a rapidly growing middle class, this could offer a huge opportunity to poor producers in India. Meanwhile in Kenya, they have a long-term project underway to protect and improve the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale dairy farmers and informal milk traders.

Only by initiatives such as these will Fairtrade reach the scale required in order to win the life-or-death global fight against poverty.

The Future of Fair Trade

Last week I attended a conference on the future of Fairtrade organised by St Paul's institute. Attendees & speakers included Paul Chandler (chief executive of Traidcraft), Harriet Lamb (Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation), Safia Minney (founder of the People Tree), Patricio Angonoa (a Fairtrade wine producer La Riojana winery in Argentina), Sophi Tranchell (managing director of Divine Chocolate) amongst many other active and well informed people involved in the movement.

Five important themes emerged regarding what will be the key issues and opportunities facing the Fair Trade movement over the next few years. I will summarise in the next few blog posts. If you have any comments or questions on the posts, then please let me know & join in the debate!

Buy Local or Buy Fair Trade?

Following on from the last post, I was discussing the issue of buying local or buying Fair Trade with a friend who runs My Greener Home.

Companies like Fairgift sell beautiful fair trade furniture or you can find a local supplier at directories such as UK Furniture Stores

It's an important topic and clearly one that defies a black & white answer. Much of the debate was prompted by the Soil Association's announcement last year that they were reviewing the organic status of all air-freighted products. At their debate entitled "The Fruits of Development” in London, Seth Dei, a director of Ghanaian fresh-cut fruit firm Blue Skies, argued:

“Our fresh-cut organic pineapple, which is certified to Soil Association
standards, may soon be refused entry to the UK because of concern over air
miles. However, we only use aircraft which are already flying passengers to and
from the UK, so are not contributing directly to carbon emissions. If the
UK goes ahead with this potential ban being threatened by the Soil Association,
then 1 per cent of Ghana’s export industry would be lost, and our growers would
lose their livelihood and be forced back into poverty,”

In response, Francis Blake, the Soil Association’s standards and technical director said

“Airfreight produces 150 times more carbon output than seafreight. We certainly
do not want to close down the operations of firms like Blue Skies and its
farmers, who have done so much to help poverty in developing nations, but
neither can we ignore carbon emissions. To that end, we have embarked on a
two-stage consultation, and next spring should have a proposed standard
available, which could suggest anything from labelling airfreighted products, as
Tesco and Marks & Spencer are already doing, to carbon offsetting, to a
complete ban, with stations in-between to help farmers in Africa find viable
alternatives to airfreighting to the UK.”

Then in The Observer in March of this was a compelling article called "How the myth of food miles hurts the planet" which investigated the different factors came to the following conclusion:

But a warning that beans have been air-freighted does not mean we should
automatically switch to British varieties if we want to help the climate.
Beans in Kenya are produced in a highly environmentally-friendly manner.
'Beans there are grown using manual labour - nothing is mechanised,' says
Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones of Bangor University, an expert on African
agriculture. 'They don't use tractors, they use cow muck as fertiliser; and
they have low-tech irrigation systems in Kenya. They also provide employment
to many people in the developing world. So you have to weigh that against
the air miles used to get them to the supermarket.'

What are your thoughts?

Is Fair Trade Environmentally Friendly?

How can you combine a support for Fair Trade with environmental sustainability, or is it impossible to reconcile the two?

Today is 10 May and is World Fair Trade Day . The theme is Fair Trade & Ecology and although Fair Trade is primarily a campaign for trade & social justice, it also has a long history of having a powerful & positive impact on the environment.

Here are three examples of what is being achieved:
- There are two internationally recognised standards for Fair Trade: FLO which predominantly covers commodity items such as tea, bananas, cotton etc and IFAT which covers everything else. Both organisations include environmental sustainability as a vital element in their criteria for bestowing Fair Trade accreditation.

- Moreover, organic & Fair Trade production often go hand in hand: for example the cotton production by Agrocel in India which was the first cotton producer to achieve Fairtrade status and now supplies Marks & Spencer in the UK with a large amount of high quality Fairtrade certified, organic cotton. Even with smaller producers that are not yet or able to achieve organic status, many have been newly trained in important agricultural techniques such as crop rotation and natural alternatives to harmful pesticides. Also the success of rural co-operatives & other fair trade organisations also frequently helps attract workers to stay in the countryside & not join the rush to urbanisation.

- Fair trade producers are frequently creative and resourceful with the limited tools available to them, so this has lead to a huge growth in products that are made out of recyled materials - from glass to elephant dung.

Here are five great examples:

1. Stunning recycled glass tumbers & other glassware from Bolivia.

2. Newspaper bags that are made by an NGO whose main objective is to provide education and shelter to street children. This eco-friendly product is made from recycled Indian newspaper. The newspapers are collected by one man on his bicycle rickshaw calling at residential homes for any read newspapers. So sometimes your bag will have a completed crossword!

3. The Silver Sequin Photo Album
is skilfully hand embroidered onto recycled silk, using ornate silver thread and delicate silver sequins. The embroidery is hand sewn by skilled artisans from within the local community. This creates a unique feel to every product. The cotton fabric pages of the album are made using recylced cotton fabric which is then coloured using natural dyes.

4. Recylced Tin Lamps that are made in West Bengal out of recycled oil tins. The lanterns run on lamp oil/ paraffin and are functional.

5. Elephant Dung Photo Album that takes recycling to a new limit. A beautiful photo album that contains paper made from 80% elephant dung and 20% recycled paper. Elephant brass design on the front.

Top 5 Fair Trade Father's Day Gifts

Sunday 15th June is Father's Day this year and if you're looking for a perfect fair trade gift for your one & only pa, then take a look at these five outstanding products:

1. Dad the Chef: Fiesta Striped Apron (£8)
This brightly striped cotton apron is skilfully hand-woven by producers in Tamil Nadu, India, benefiting from fairly paid work opportunities at Co-optex. 100% cotton and machine washable. With front pocket and waist tie fastenings. 97 x 76cm. Matching tea towels also available just in case you dad ever gets close to the sink.

2. Dad the Wine-buff: Mixed Fairtrade Wine - Six Bottles (£38)
1 x Chilean Chardonnay, 1 x Chilean Cabernet Merlot, 1 x South African Pinotage, 1 x South African Sauvignon Blanc, 1 x South African Chenin Blanc, 1 x Argentinian Torrontes

About the producers...
Argentinian Fair Trade Wine: The fair trade organization La Riojana Cooperativa, has more than 600 members, it produces wine by means of the traditional techniques and the most advanced technology.
Chilean Fair Trade Wine: Vinos Los Robles is 200km south of Santiago in the Curico valley, where wine production plays an important part in the local economy. The 50 strong co-op, along with El Corazon, a member of Los Robles, guarantees the farmers a fairer price for their grapes.
South African Fair Trade Wine: Citrusdal Cellars is a co-operative in the Citrusdal area of the Western Cape, South Africa. This is an area where the history of colonialism and apartheid have left the wine industry with many problems.
The Cilmor estate is based in the Western Cape and it is here where the renovation of homes and the building of a creche have brought major improvements to the workers.

If you're feeling generous, then give the wine together with fair trade wine glasses from Bolivia - £12 for 4.

3. Trendy Dad: Fairtrade Hoody (£36)
Brushed back heavy cotton fleece, ideal for protecting your privacy from big brother. Made using Fairtrade and Organic cotton from Agrocel in India. Available in Chocolate, Indigo & Red

4. Creative Dad: Kubu Leather Album (£20)
This stylish photograph album is bound in supple, chocolatey leather and finished with a practical leather tie. To enhance this natural look the cotton paper has been finished with hand-torn edges. The leather is coloured using natural vegetable dyes. The paper inside is handmade from cotton and has a smooth luxurious finish, ideal for holding photographs. The separation sheets are made from banana skin, which is crushed into a pulp to produce a soft textured paper. Gift wrapped in a beautiful, handmade box made of recycled cotton paper. This album is also great as a journal or for sketching, oil painting, pastels and as a scrap book. 23.5cm x 18cm. 36 pages + interleaves.

5. Sunday Morning Dad: White Cotton Bathrobe (£42)
Created with maximum indulgence in mind, these super-soft and fluffy hooded bathrobes in a contemporary wide rib design make a fantastic gift. Available in medium (fits chest 97-102cm / 38"-40") and large (fits chest 104-109cm/41"-43"). Machine washable up to 60°C and can be ironed on a high setting.

Top 5 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade

1. Help End World Poverty
"El comericio justo es mucho mas que comprar y vender café”. In the words of a producer: Fair trade is more than just buying & selling coffee. Fair trade is a way to help reduce poverty every time we shop; it is practical action and a campaign towards building a better world.

According to the UN, one billion people still live on less than $1 a day. Current international trade rules & practices have contributed to the growing income gap between rich and poor both between and within countries. Fair trade is a direct way for consumers in richer countries like the UK to interact with producers in some of the poorest parts of the world and to help them overcome the obstacles of international trade rules, by ensuring a fair wage and acceptable working conditions.

2. Every Product Makes a Difference
“We are building, little by little, a different world based on human relationships. It is a permanent process” - Nelly Canepa & Maria del Carmen de la Fuenta from Allpa, Peru.

In comparison with all the world's commerce, fair trade is currently tiny. According to the Fairtrade Foundation, sales of Fairtrade certified products in the UK reached £500million in 2007, which is less than a quarter of the organic market by comparison. However, it is growing rapidly (doubling in size every two years), awareness is strong (e.g. 57% aware of the certification in the UK) and the quality & range of fair trade products now huge and better than ever (over 3000 Fairtrade certified products currently available). Over 7 million farmers, workers & their direct family members are already benefiting. Each and every fair trade product sold has an inspirational story of it's direct benefit to workers & their families in some of the poorest communities in the world.

3. Trade, Not Aid
"We are not asking for help, we want people to feel good about our chocolate. We're the very best. That's what is important." - Ohemeng Tonyase from Kuapa Kokoo cocoa collective in Ghana.

By trading with people in many of the poorest communities of the world, fair trade reduces reliance on charity and fosters long-term development and independence. Fair trade is an investment in society that enables marginalised members of the community to have access to world markets. Long-term contracts and the growth of fair trade overall ensure that the benefits continue to multiply.


4. Envinronmental Sustainability
"Aren't you afraid to eat chocolate?" - worker on a cocoa plantation in Brazil

Cotton and cocoa receive heavier doses of agrochemicals that any other crop, including many of the most powerful and dangerous pesticides. Studies by Friends of the Earth in the past few years have identified that many of these remain in through to the final product. It is bad enough to think of the impact this has on the health of consumers but, with health & safety regulation often weaker in developing countries, it is the workers and producers that suffer the most.

In contrast, fair trade farms rely mainly on natural and organic methods and fair trade criteria requires sustainable production and positive environmental policies including protecting workers from harmful agrochemicals. Producers are predominantly rural, using high proportion of recylced products and handmade processes in production and packaging, with transportation predominantly via land & sea.


5. Quality
"Through Fairtrade, we have been able to change our agricultural techniques to improve the quality of our teas." - Silver Kasoro-Atwoki from the Mabale Growers Tea Factory in Uganda.

Rather than having to sell to powerful middlemen and the entire transaction being focused on lowering the price, fair trade producers are able to have a longer-term and more equal partnership with buyers: often through co-owernership structures such as at Divine Chocolate and Cafe Direct. This relationship leads to greater investment in production quality and organisational improvements such as important training and product development.

Because Fair Trade producers have a genuine stake in their product through self-ownership structures and funding of social benefits through the Fairtrade premium, there is huge pride and a great additional incentive to ensure the quality of the end product.

Fair Trade Timu Leather Journal

This stylish journal is bound in leather. Perfect for travelling, sketching and just holding memories, the leather enhances with time.

The paper inside is handmade from cotton and has a smooth luxurious finish, suitable for all pen types, painting, pastels and drawing. Gift wrapped in a handmade box, made with recycled cotton. Plain pages. A6.

Fair Trade Products Price: £22.95

Beautiful Fairtrade Mocha Duvet Cover

Let your body relax and breathe in this gorgeous, organic fair trade cotton mocha bed linen.

It is made with outstanding quality, 200 thread count organic, which makes it exceptionally soft and strong. Machine washable.

Fair Trade Products Price: £52.50

Trendy Fairtrade Bamboo Handle Storage Case

This jute bag is screen printed by hand. It is a stylish option for storage or organising your recyclable materials. With sturdy bamboo carrying handles and plastic inside lining.



Fair Trade Products Price: £12

Fair Trade Spotty Apron

100% cotton, black apron with white spots.

Machine washable.

Oven gloves also available in same range.

Fair Trade Gifts Price: £13.00

Fair Trade Towels

A bale of outstanding quality, soft and fluffy towels, beautifully presented in a cotton ribbon.

Each bale consists of a large bath towel (100 x 165cm), a bath towel (70 x 140cm), a hand towel (50 x 100cm) and two face cloths (31 x 31cm). Machine washable up to 60 degrees and can be ironed on a high setting.

For environmental reasons, we recommend washing bathroom linen at lower temperatures and line-dry where possible.

Fair Trade Gifts Price: £48.00

Fair Trade Moroccan Style Lantern

This large, impressive lantern looks great both lit and unlit.


Fair Trade Gifts Price: £45.00

Fair Trade Table and Chairs

A classic table with chunky appeal - sturdy enough to cope with the rigours of day-to-day life. This package includes four Delhi style chairs. Additional pairs of chairs can be purchased separately. Also avilable with Cross back chairs.

100% Sheesham wood (Indian Rosewood) imported directly from Northern India.

Fair Trade Furniture Price: £599

Fair Trade Bolivian Wine Glasses

This beautiful set of wine glasses is perfect for introducing friends and family to some fair trade wine!

Handmade with recycled glass. Dishwasher safe.

Fair Trade Products Price: £12.00

Fair Trade Bookcase

This bookcase is so functional, there's a space for one in every home!

It offers great storage with the four, fixed height shelves; the open back gives an airy feel and ensures it doesn’t overpower the room; the slat sides allow it to co-ordinate beautifully with both the Mallani Console Tables and Slat Coffee Tables; and finally, the size is perfect - not too big and not too small!

100% Sheesham wood (Indian Rosewood) imported directly from northern India.

Fair Trade Furniture Price: £329

Thakat Mirror

This beautiful mirror with solid wood frame is decorated with iron rivots - the finishing touch to any room.

Designed for either portrait or landscape hanging - wall fixings not included.

Fair Trade Products Price: £69.00

Mother of Pearl Frame

This beautiful photo frame is handcrafted from pieces of mother of pearl, skilfully mounted onto a sheesham wood base.

Gift wrapped in a beautiful handmade box made from recycled cotton paper.

Fair Trade Products Price: £18.00

Bukedo Basket

A lovely circular basket made of bukedo (banana-leaf stalk), cut into thin strips, dried, then bound over with buso (raffia from the palm tree), forming a tight coil.

Dark brown with light golden colour in the coilwork. All dyes extracted from natural organic sources.

Fair Trade Products Price: £12.00

Silver Sequin Album

This photograph album is skilfully hand embroidered onto recycled silk, using ornate silver thread and delicate silver sequins. The embroidery is hand sewn by skilled artisans from within the local community. This creates a unique feel to every product.

The cotton fabric is coloured using natural dyes. The paper inside is handmade from cotton and has a smooth luxurious finish, ideal for holding photographs. The separation sheets are made from banana skin, which is crushed into a pulp to produce a soft textured paper. Gift wrapped in a cream linen box.

Fair Trade Products Price: £19.95

Chulucanas Ceramic Bowl

Chulucanas in the north of Peru is famed for its ceramic production and this bowl is an amazing example.

The black finish comes from including local mango tree leaves with the ceramics when fired, the design having been painted on prior to firing using a resist technique. Decorative item only.

Fair Trade Products Price: £14.00