Fair Trade in South Africa

We’ve all heard about Fair Trade, right? Well, maybe not as much, as it turns out. The following has been taken from www.fairtrade.org.za

The fair trade partnership involves producers, traders, retailers and consumers. The movement started in the USA and Europe following the Second World War s as a way to address the inequities of the global trading system and to express solidarity with exploited producers in the developing world. Although initially fair trade supplied a niche market, it has developed into a professional and more mainstream sector over the past five years. Some markets have reported an increase of sales of fair trade products of over 70%. Increasingly, consumers are demanding healthy and ethically sound produced products. The huge growth in the fair trade market presents a great opportunity for marginalised producers to get involved in fair trade.

EMG Environmental Monitoring Group says: We believe that an empowered and engaged civil society is a corner-stone of sustainability....

Fair trade is a global trading system that was established to give small-scale producers access to markets that were prepared to pay a "fair" price, rather than simply the lowest price. It has grown to be a powerful movement for social change as well as a milion-dollar industry. It has also grown to serve both small-scale farmers, workers and crafters, and has been formally operating in South Africa for the last 5 or 6 years.

The fair trade system is most formalised in the agricultural field, where small-scale farmers and farm-workers receive the benefits. However some manufactured goods (footballs) can also be certified and there are a number of initiatives to formalise "fair" trading in handcrafts and other goods.

There are a multitude of organisations dealing with Fair Trade and this is generally to be expected. I am focussing on South African Fair Trade though, and this (again) from www.fairtrade.org.za

WFTO

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is the global network of Fair Trade Organizations (FTOs) that advocates Fair Trade. The network (then known as IFAT) was created in 1989 uniting ATOs and producer organisations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific Rim. The mission of WFTO is to improve the livelihoods and well-being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations in Northern and developing countries, and by speaking out for greater justice in world trade.

In 2004 the WFTO launched the FTO Mark which identifies registered Fair Trade Organizations worldwide and guarantees that standards are implemented regarding working conditions, wages, child labour and the environment. These standards are verified by self-assessment, mutual reviews and external verification. The WFTO is also working towards introducing an international fair trade label.

COFTA

Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA) is a network of Fair Trade producer organisations in Africa involved and is also the Africa Regional Chapter for the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). COFTA works with disadvantaged grassroots producers to eliminate poverty through Fair Trade. COFTA functions as a network of all registered WFTO members and registered Fair Trade Organizations (FTOs) in Africa, as well as those seeking WFTO registration or working towards WFTO membership.

This all started with a landmark handshake for local producers, as written by Candace Freeman in her Fair Trade for emerging farmers, 8 July 2004. The full text can be found at www.southafrica.info/business/trade/export/fairtrade-capefarmers.htm

Emerging farmers in three provinces - the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State - will have access to a multi-million Euro produce market following the signing of an agricultural trade agreement with the Netherlands on Friday.

The agreement was signed by the Northern and Eastern Cape departments of agriculture with Fair Trade Assistance in the Netherlands to secure European Union market access for emerging farmers.

Fair Trade Assistance (FTA) is part of the Fair Trade Organisation, that handles an assortment of 3 000 products purchased from craftsmen and farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America for the Netherlands and Belgium markets.

When South African producers (et al) follow the guidelines they are not only Proudly South African but they also get certified as part of International Free Trade. Considering that we are technically all ‘Citizens of the Planet’, this is at least a good start!