Producer support, Latin America

 WFTO-LA, Latin America

WFTO (formerly IFAT) is a worldwide network of Fair Trade organisations. The mission of the organisation is to improve the living conditions of small producers who work and live under miserable conditions. This means that WFTO stimulates the organisation and promotion of Fair Trade and is an advocate for Fair Trade on the global market. WFTO is organised by region with own identities that correspond with socio-economic and cultural realities of these regions.

In 2007 WFTO-Latinoamérica officially became a regional chapter. 

Website: www.ifat-la.org 

Vision and mission

During the WFTO’s first world conference, from 16 to 22 May in Nepal, the members of the different regions discussed the implementation process of the Sustainable Fair Trade Management System (SFTMS), the new monitoring system for member organisations of the WFTO. With the development of this new monitoring system the WFTO wants to give tools to its members with which they can meet Fair Trade standards better and better – and so, improve the social, commercial and ecological conditions of the work of small producers. 

It was important for the members of Latin America to share their experience, to strengthen the debate and to adapt implementation to the realities of Latin America.

Funded project

Background

The project aims at supporting WFTO-LA in implementing its strategic plan for 2007/2010 with regards to monitoring, but also in the field of regional networking and development of new markets for the region. Step by step the regional office has to take on new responsibilities. However, it does not have the financial resources to cover operational costs and staff costs for market development. 

The project must benefit 20 partner organisations of WFTO-LA in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. They represent at least 15,000 organised producer groups, without counting the hundreds of member who are at the same time producers and marketeers.

BTC’s funding amounts to EUR 64,000.

Expected results 

The project has different objectives.

The first one is to be able to count on a technical team that has the right qualities to implement the new monitoring system SFTMS, and to develop new markets. This way, the SFTMS process will be implemented in three pilot organisations in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, with the objective to obtain WFTO Fair Trade certification for these organisations.

The second objective is to support at least 10 member organisations of WFTO-LA in establishing a self-analysis with regards to the application of the Fair Trade standards, and in developing improvement plans.

The third objective is to obtain new trade contacts for the partners of WFTO-LA, and to strengthen them that way in the field of market development.