Fairtrade Resources

I have frequently been asked if Fair Trade is linked to loaning money to the poor. No, however there are similarities in the grassroots concept of empowering disadvantaged artisans. The idea of ‘microfinance' is to loan small amounts of money to ‘tiny' business owners and farmers to enable them to raise their incomes and quality of life.

From September 10-12, 2010, the Fair Trade Futures Conference will bring together entrepreneurs, students, advocates, faith community members, concerned citizens, interested individuals, and others in Boston, MA for the largest Fair Trade event in North American history!

The event will include seminars, workshops, site visits, discussions, social activities, and an exposition of 50+ Fair Trade vendors to educate and inspire about the holistic approach to business and pov

Five years ahead of the 2015 deadline to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG), indication has emerged that a number of developing nations are far from getting there.

The UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, in remarks to member states in a report on MDGs titled: Keeping the Promise, blames it on unmet commitments, inadequate resources and a lack of focus and accountability.

'Despite the global recession, worldwide sales of Fair Trade Certified products grew by an impressive 22% in 2008 as consumers spent an estimated $4 billion on Fair Trade products globally. In the U.S., sales grew 10% to $1.06 billion, and in Canada, sales grew 67% to $180 million. The UK, after growth of 43%, has surpassed the U.S. for most FT sales by country, at $1.23 billion.

Fair Trade organisations (FTOs) around the world are gathering in Kathmandu, Nepal from the 16th to the 22nd May for its annual global meeting.

The European Commission has today adopted a communication on the role of Fair Trade and non-governmental trade-related sustainability assurance schemes. The communication recognises the significant development of the Fair Trade movement and the importance of a European market now worth EUR 1.5 billion per year.

World trade could be a powerful force to reduce poverty and support economic growth, but that potential is being lost. Millions of the world's poorest people are being left behind and the inequalities between rich and poor are widening.

This article caught my eye as it falls into place alongside the current book I am reading "Fair Trade for All' by Joseph Stiglitz and Andrew Charleston. This book sets out the framework of how fairer trade rules  can promote development in the world's poorest countries. A must read for those involved with fair trade at the economic level.

Firstly, read on:

Producing baskets and mats in central Uganda has traditionally been women's work. Women made these items for use in homes. The National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda (NAWOU) has changed this practice into a powerful force fighting poverty.

The organization has a big crafts collection centre in the east African country's capital of Kampala. Baskets, toys, mats and hand-made cotton cloth can be found there, among other things [like more recently paper beads]. The collection centre operates according to fair trade principles and is affiliated to the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT).

IFAT is a global network of organizations seeking to improve the livelihoods of "disadvantaged" producers by linking up fair trade organizations and advocating justice in global trade. Most of the crafts are sold in the U.S., with some exports going to Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the UK. According to Pamela Kyagera, marketing officer at the collection centre, fair trade has not only turned around the trade in crafts in Uganda but have ensured that women artisans benefit equally from their work.

OK so i have followed CARE for a while but not in depth…now i am really interested. It covers international topics from a variety of angles….most importantly grassroots..people who are dealing with humanitarian crisis on the ground. check this out…
http://we.care.org/community/app/templates/tpt.aspx?tpt=forum
and also this links to blogger…which has a great discussion on poverty issues….
http://povertynewsblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/poverty-fighters-must-target...