August 2008ContentsFair TradeUseful guide for producers Sustainable Trade
Fair Trade Is Fair Trade becoming 'Fair Trade lite'? Following Wal-Mart's launch of three house-brand fair trade coffees, fair trade proponents raise questions about where fair trade is heading.
[Read more: BusinessWeek]
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Africa Fair Trade Network set for growthAFRICA Fair Trade Network (AFN) has designed a five-year strategic plan under which Fairtrade Development for Africa will be established and funded by Comic Relief (CR) Project based in the United Kingdom.CR has agreed to release 4.9 million UK pounds for a period of five years. 1.2 million pounds will be injected into AFN programmes while the remaining 3.7 million pounds will go to programmes that will be carried out by by CR's other partners, including Fair Trade Labelling Organisation, that were very instrumental in developing the project in Africa.
CR funds will mainly be invested in building the AFN and its sub-structure networks; provide substantial training and capacity building, quality management, technical assistance and market access.
Read more: Daily News Online]
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Harmonization of the Fairtrade Premium for FlowersFollowing an extensive review of the Fairtrade Standards for Flowers and Plants, a new standard will be published on 31 October 2008. This new standard will harmonize the level of Fairtrade Premium and strengthen the trading conditions within the Fairtrade flower supply chains. Flowers are one of the Fairtrade Labelling System’s most dynamic products. [Read more: FLO]
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UK: Fairtrade fires up interest in school uniformsToday’s school children are demonstrating their awareness of global issues by opting for Fairtrade school uniforms, according to a new survey conducted by schoolwear supplier, Trutex. Furthermore, despite the current economic climate, the survey reveals that many parents are willing to pay more to ensure their child’s uniform is Fairtrade.
[Read more: Responsource.com ]
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What Is Direct Trade Coffee?This is the third article in a five-part series by Jay Kilby that compares fair trade coffee, direct trade coffee, and Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. program. In addition to fair trade, direct trade has emerged as an alternative contender for the "ethical coffee" market. Direct trade coffee is similar to fair trade insofar as it seeks to provide a fair price for small farmers and encourage them to develop sustainable, ecologically responsible practices. As does fair trade, direct trade eliminates advantages that "middlemen" have over farmers in the traditional coffee market. [Read more: Jay Kilby, WeBuyItGreen Blog]
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Critique on Adam Smith Institute's criticism of Fair TradeBRASS (The Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability & Society) responds to Adam Smith Institute's publication "Unfair Trade" with a thorough analysis of fair trade within the context of globalisation and international trade. [Download the report]
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Storm in a coffee cup as Fairtrade roasts MaccasAustralia: The battle for the ethical dollar is heating up. As BP became the first national retail chain to switch its entire coffee supply to Fairtrade, the certification marque this week went public with its concerns that McDonald's is stealing its thunder. [Read more: The Sydney Morning Herald]
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Comic Harry Hill goes nuts for fair trade nutsBafta award-winning comic Harry Hill is working in collaboration with fairtrade nut company Liberation on the new range of peanuts that will carry his branding. The Fair Trade Centre is involved... 'I'm working with Liberation because all of its products are Fairtrade and the company is run purely to benefit the farmers and their families' comments Harry Hill. Farmers own 33% of Liberation's capital through the International Cooperative of nut producers. The consolidation of the cooperative is co-financed by the Fair Trade Centre (read more about this) Liberation was launched at the end of last year. It made £1.6m in its first year. It is expected to double in size this year.
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Fairtrade recognised by New ZealandersA recent public survey conducted by Colmar Brunton on behalf of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) indicates consumer recognition of the FAIRTRADE Label has now reached 36% in New Zealand, an increase from a similar survey conducted 2 years ago that showed just 2% recognition at that time. Retail sales of Fairtrade Certified products in New Zealand grew 60% last year to over NZ$9 million, this is well above the global average of 40%. Global sales of Fairtrade Certified products are now more than NZ$4.8 billion. The UK market is now worth NZ$1.25 billion with 70% public recognition of the FAIRTRADE Label. This all indicates scope for further growth in New Zealand. [Read more: Fair Trade Resource Network]
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Royal Verkade to use Fair Trade Cocoa and Sugar
Due largely to NGO & public pressure, one of the Netherlands largest producers of chocolate will be making the step to 100% Fair Trade cocoa this fall.
The Dutch household name, established in 1886 and one of the most respected brands in the country, is the first A-list chocolate producer worldwide to make the transition to Fair Trade production on a large scale. With this move, the entire production of Fair Trade cocoa worldwide will be boosted by 20%. Most of Verkade products will be Fair Trade by the fall of 2008, with their entire range of cocoa products sourced fairly by early 2009. [Read more: DC Make Trade Fair! Newsfeed]
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Black gold: How Fairtrade put the cream into Uganda's coffee
Example of the impact of fair trade on coffee producers "Growing subsistence crops may fill stomachs, but it provides no money for building houses or educating a family. Produce grown for cash may fetch a few Ugandan shillings at Kamu's Market, but it will not bring in the much-needed foreign currency that can transform lives and lever a family out of poverty. That access to global markets is what Cafédirect provides, helped by distant consumers who choose to buy Mount Elgon organic whole beans." [Read more: The Guardian]
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First certified Fairtrade shop opens in TaiwanTaiwan's first fairtrade shop licensed by the Germany-headquartered Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) International opened in Taipei recently to enable local consumers to buy Third World products at lower prices while making donations upon purchase to benefit people from poor countries. [Read more: The China Post]
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Clinton Foundation launches Fairtrade Rwandan Farmers coffeeFormer US President Bill Clinton along with Sir Tom Hunter have launched through the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI) "Rwandan Farmers" coffee, a new brand of fair trade coffee which is owned by the coffee farmers themselves. Almost a million people were killed in Rwanda in the genocide of 1994. Mr Clinton, who was US president at the time, has said that the international community should have done more to try and prevent the bloodshed. It was his choice to focus the Clinton Foundation's efforts on Rwanda. The 8,700 Rwandan coffee farmers will receive not just a "fair" payment for their crop but they actually own the brand and will receive 16% of the profits. British supermarket Sainsbury's will stock the Rwandan Farmers coffee. [Read more: BBC News]
Visit Rwanda Farmers website]
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Fair Trade Brazilian melonWith the certification process for melons underway at the Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), Brazilian fair trade melons will soon hit our supermarket shelves.
For a Brazilian group of small melon farmers, united in the Association for the Development of the Agricultural Industry in Rio Grande do Norte (Adap), based in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the North of Brazil, the main goal is to reach the foreign market before the end of 2008.
"Last year, a group of British buyers visited the community to get to know our production. Approximately 350 boxes of melon were shipped to England for analysis and, after rigorous evaluation, observing the most stringent international standards, melon from Rio Grande do Norte was rated 5, considered to be of excellent quality," says Adap's president Mr Carvalho.
Founded in 2007, the Adap emerged as a response to the need for improving farmers' sales practices. [Read more: Brazilmag]
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Useful guide for producers Trading Up: building cooperation between farmers and tradersThe most recent KIT publication "Trading Up: building cooperation between farmers and traders" shows through 15 richly illustrated cases how relations have been strengthened between farmers, traders, wholesalers, processors and retailers of agricultural products. Commodities covered range from soybeans and coffee, to milk and wool.
The book describes how they have built institutions (such as market information systems) and agreed on rules (such as standard weights and quality grades) to enable agricultural markets to function better.
[Further information]
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Sustainable Trade Making Sense of Certification — Fair Trade, Direct Trade,...USA: Making Sense of Certification — Fair Trade, Direct Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Whole Trade, and Organic.
[Read more: imagined-community]
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MSC: New Fishery Assessment MethodologyAfter two years of scientific collaboration and consultation, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced the launch of its new Fishery Assessment Methodology designed to improve the quality and consistency of fisheries assessments, without either raising or lowering the ‘bar’ against which the performance of a fishery is assessed.
The release of this new Methodology will mean a change in the process by which fisheries are assessed. In the past, independent certifiers were required to create an assessment tree for each individual fishery entering assessment. The new Fishery Assessment Methodology now provides a default assessment tree that will be used as the basis for all new assessments; every fishery will now know ahead exactly what will be asked of them in order to meet the MSC standard. In addition, the new assessment tree is supported by comprehensive guidance that clearly outlines to certifiers exactly how the MSC standard should be interpreted.
[read more on The Fishsite]
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Bulletproof helps Kenco re-launch range…Kenco will launch new packaging throughout the UK, communicating the relationship between Kenco and the Rainforest Alliance, part of Kenco’s journey towards a more sustainable positioning.
[Read more: Creative Match]
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Guidelines on Sustainable Consumption and ProductionUnsustainable patterns of consumption and production is a primary cause of climate change andlead to other ecological and social challenges. These include: land degradation, air and water pollution and resource depletion. Hence, promoting sustainable consumption and production is one of the key responses to protect the environment and improve human well-being through sustainable development. Many countries have instituted individual policies to promote sustainable consumption and sustainable production. However, these actions are often neither coherent nor driven by an integrated programme.Individual national initiatives – no matter howinnovative – stand little chance of bringing aboutwhole sale changes in consumption and productionpatterns. Therefore, the Marrakech Process on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is encouraging the development of integrated national programmes on SCP. These Guidelines provide advice to governments and other stakeholders on how to plan, develop,implement and monitor a national SCP programme. The Guidelines are also useful to countries that already have a SCP programme but are keen to improve and sustain the process. This is a flexible approach to SCP programme development that can be adapted to local circumstances. [Read the guidelines: UNEP report]
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The Rainforest Alliance Smarthouse and TreehouseSmarthouse and Treehouse are two new interactive tools designed to introduce Web site visitors to the people, places and processes that stand behind production of sustainable goods and to enhance understanding of Rainforest Alliance's conservation work. SmartHouse -- complete with kitchen, living room and backyard -- illustrates the range of Rainforest Alliance Certified products available and provides information about their sustainable origins.
TreeHouse allows the younger generation to explore the wonders of the rainforest through a variety of educational games. [Have a closer look]
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Rainforest Alliance doubles its sales of certified coffeeThe Rainforest Alliance has nearly doubled the amount of coffee sold every year from its programme. Companies in the group's sustainable coffee programme have been making "commitments over time to scale-up the volumes of coffee that they're sourcing and help farms that already supply them, get certified," comments Sabrina Vigilante, senior manager of marketing and business for Rainforest Alliance. Coffee purchases from Rainforest certified farms has grown by an average of 93 per cent annually since 2003. [Source: Calgary Herald]
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Utz Certified: 10% of the coffee consumed in BelgiumMore than 10% of the coffee consumed in Belgium is UTZ CERTIFIED.
This respectable share of the sustainable quality label allowing real time traceability shows that there is demand in the market for a coffee program that assures the responsible production of big volumes and transparency along the supply chain. In Belgium Douwe Egberts offers more and more UTZ CERTIFIED coffee. Quality supermarket Delhaize uses the certification as the checking system behind their "Controle & Origine" house label.
The popularity of the Good Inside coffee in the Out of Home segments also grows - the Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA sells and serves only UTZ coffee. Also around 60.000 clients per day visiting McDonald's restaurants in Belgium see the Good Inside logo on their coffee cups. [Source : Utz Certified, Good Inside Newsletter 3/2008]
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Ethical Fresh Produce Sales Rocketing in EuropeA rise in ethical consumerism is spiking demand for organic and fair trade fresh produce in Europe. New research by Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) shows that sales of ethical fruit & vegetables surpassed the EUR 5 billion mark for the first time in 2007.
[Read more]
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ISEAL Program: Access to CertificationImproving access to certification for small producers in developing countries The primary objective of ISEAL’s Accessibility program is to improve producer access to certification, particularly for small scale producers in developing countries. Small Producer Access to Multiple Certifications Producers need to meet an increasing number of market and regulatory requirements if they are to access export markets, from social and environmental certification to food safety and quality requirements. Meeting such requirements is particularly difficult for small producers from developing countries that may not know what is required to deliver these market-based standards, or do not have the knowledge, resources or infrastructure to obtain and manage multiple certifications. [Read more on ISEAL Alliance website]
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