About WFTO Europe

We put people and planet first!

idea poster CTB

During the Belgian Fair Trade Week (1st to the 11th of October 2014), WFTO-Europe will organise a debate where students and young people from Brussels together with Fair Trade national actors will be invited to discuss  the main challenges of Fair Trade and the way ahead. WFTO-Europe will organise this event in collaboration with Oxfam-en-Action, a group of young people engaged in Fair Trade, which benefits from a wide student network in Belgium. Other youth organisations and students from several universities will be invited to participate as well.

WFTO-Europe chose the students and young people as the target group due to their double roles in the society: as consumers and future Fair Trade ambassadors.

The main objectives of this debate are to deepen the knowledge on Fair Trade and to encourage people to be active and be Fair Trade promoters.

Fair trade on board JPEGIn order to do so, the debate will be divided in three different sessions. The first 30 minutes will be dedicated to a general presentation of the debate and the different national Fair Trade actors that will take part to it. Each of them will briefly introduce himself and his activity in his own country. They will also quickly introduce the working group they will lead during the second session, addressing questions raised by the students.

During this session, each FT actor will invite the students to deepen some specific topics in the respective discussion groups (at least 5). These topics will be previously identified through a consultation process amongst students and will be focused on the main challenges/criticisms of Fair Trade (how to promote FT in the current economic crisis in Europe, how to make trade rules and practices fairer, what is the impact of Fair Trade on producers,..). The FT actors will guide the students on the reflection and eventual elaboration of new ideas on how to face the issue. The discussions will be framed so as to identify solutions and, if possible, what Belgium-based young people could do. After twenty minutes, students will be asked to move to another group for a second round of discussion on a different topic.

Logo_CTB_JPEGThe debate will end with a wrap up session where one person from each group (a student or the FT actor) will be invited to share insights or other results from the conversations had in the working group with the rest of the people.

Few weeks after the debate, WFTO-Europe will launch a survey to receive the feedback of the participants and to evaluate the impact of the event.

To discover other activities of the Fair Trade Week, please go to the CTB website http://www.semaineducommerceequitable.be/fr/

If you want to take part in the debate and to contribute to the identification of the topics to be discussed, please fill this survey by the 7th of September.

If you have any problem, please contact: projects[at]wfto-europe.org  

Assobdm-rosso-trasparenteThe Worldshops Association has been acting in Italy since 1991 and is a network of 70 cooperatives and associations running about 200 worldshops. It is a point of reference for all the Italian worldshops, helping them to be not just shops, but cultural and political organizations.

Among its most relevant activities there are the organization and promotion of Tuttaunaltracosa, the Italian Fair Trade Fair, and Tuttounaltrocampo, an international youth education camp. Moreover, the Worldshops Association organizes Summer School on different fair trade topics, provides logistic services and facilities for members, fundraising and project management services (in collaboration with members and local partners). It also performs lobbying actions in Italian national and regional political councils, organizes seminars and meetings in collaboration with schools, universities and local authorities, takes part at national events/fairs on sustainable development, promotes awareness and boycott campaigns in national content (free water, clean clothes campaign, arms control) and promotes international campaigns for the World Fair Trade Day.

@Fair Trade International Youth CampThrough Facebook, twitter and its newsletter services, the Wordshops Association manages a fair trade community with thousands of friends sharing interests, thoughts and initiatives.

Tuttounaltrocampo is a uni­que expe­ri­ment, an inter­na­tio­nal work camp, an appren­ti­ce­ship group in a fair, a labo­ra­tory of ideas and friend­ships. It’s inspi­red from the original prin­ci­ples of Fair Trade and aims to share the vision of today and the pro­jects of the future in an envi­ron­ment without natio­nal borders.

Tuttaunaltracosa is the fair trade caravan that every year leads workshops, fair trade centrals, craftsmen from the southern hemisphere and volunteers from all over Italy to an happening in a new town.

From the first edition in 1994, Tuttaunaltracosa has toured many Italian cities (Milan, Genoa, Modena, Ferrara, Lecce, Naples, Reggio Emilia, Arezzo and so on). In the last years, it had averaged 40,000 visitors in three days, over 100 exhibitors from all over Italy. Since 2007 the national fair of fair trade is under the High Patronage of the Italian President of the Republic.

fieraThis year marks the the 20th anniversary of Tuttaunaltracosa! We’re going to celebrate this special edition in Ferrara between October 3rd and October 5th, in partnership with the “Internazionale” festival of journalism. Waiting for you too!

Follow us on Facebook page “ass. Botteghe del mondo Italia” and visit our websites

www.assobdm.it

www.tuttaunaltracosa.it

Name: Associazione Botteghe del Mondo

Head office: Reggio Emilia

Year of foundation: 1991

Website: www.assobdm.it

logo COPADE AltaCOPADE has been working on international development through Fair Trade and the sustainable consumption of timber products. With our projects we support Southern producers, their families, and communities in order to help them to come out of poverty and improve their living conditions.

We are specialized in the forest sector creating public-private alliances to position timber products and their derivatives in Northern markets. We are pioneers in Spain in implementing development projects in partnership with large Spanish and multinational companies like Leroy Merlin, Bellota Herramientas (Bellota Tools), Federación Española de Industrias de la Madera (Spanish Timber Industrial Federation), etc… We have developed the first worldwide label of Fair Trade in the forestry sector: Fair Timber (Madera Justa).

DSCN1585In COPADE we believe in people and their socioeconomic development. This is why we always involve the producers in all the process of our projects: from its theoretical foundations to its implementation.

COPADE understands Fair Trade and sustainable forest development as the main pillars for development, environmental preservation and improvement of living conditions in Southern communities. This can change trade rules into a new form of trade more human oriented and with more opportunities for everyone.

Further information:

www.copade.es

www.maderajusta.org

bhctrafts logoFrom humanitarian to successful business project
BHcrafts is the title of the project which unites creative, humanitarian, business and psychotherapeutic characteristics in a highly balanced and outstandingly successful manner.It is the project of production of handmade clothing and decorative items, which involves women from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Non governmental humanitarian organization Norwegian People’s Aid has started this project in 1995. In the beginning, the project has had prominently humanitarian character, and today, it has developed into a successful and export-oriented business, which is still successfully developing. The result of that development is the enterprise BHcrafts, which is in charge of promoting and selling Bosnian handicrafts in country and abroad.

Me on the fieldtripThe way one humanitarian idea developed into a successful business project
BHcrafts is, in every respect, outstanding and successful project. Women, among whom are many of those whose husbands, children, brothers and fathers were killed in the last war, are enabled to integrate into normal way of life again, in the best possible way by means of creativity and personal engagement. All relevant researches has proved that it is the best and the most effective way to confront the war traumas and to eliminate their consequences. Within our program women of different ethnic background from both of the B&H entities were given a chance to forget their difficult past, through a lot of work, care and subtle socialization.

Graphic3Synthesis of skill and natural materials
Clothing and program for household, made in the BHcrafts, elicit undivided enthusiasm. The leading world media have written about attractiveness and quality of our handicraft products. Each product is unique, hand-made in traditional techniques of knitting, crocheting and weaving, which have made BHcrafts products recognizable and appreciated. These products, regardless of whether they are clothing items, table cloths or carpets, cannot be the subject of mass production. The products are handmade, with devotion and persistence, without the use of machines. Most of the products are made of chemically untreated wool and cotton, in the process which obeys the strict ecological standards.

Ecology, business, self-consciousness
Graphic1The products of the BHcrafts are made with use of domestic raw materials, thus supporting the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the ecologically conscientious project, which does not pollute the environment in not a single stage of production (paper bags, cardboard boxes, looms for weaving). The project promotes Bosnia and Herzegovina in an attractive and original manner by export of the high-quality products. Our products are mixture of traditional and modern achievements of design, which is the combination that ensures a successful existence at the demanding world market.

Graphic6Social responsibility and fair trade
Bhcrafts is the first recognized, and awarded, social entrepreneurship from Balkans (The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2002), as well as the first certified fair trade producer, and still the only one in BiH ( International Fair Trade Association – IFAT in 2009) and the winner, in the category “URBAN& REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT”, of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award – SEA, in 2013. As the pioneer in both categories, BHcrafts has kept promoting Fair Trade principles and Socially Responsible Business ever since then.

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Name: BHcrafts
Head Office: Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Year of Foundation: 1995
Website: www.bhcrafts.org

 

 

 

 

Member of the Month

EL PUENTE

LOGO EL PUENTE Aug 17

The Company

El Puente is among the pioneers of the fair trade movement and is today the third largest fair trade organization in Germany. Already since 1972, El Puente has stood as a bridge between north and south, and has worked with small businesses and cooperatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The work of El Puente is not profit-orientated. Through the import and distribution of fair trade products, the organization supports more than 140 trade partners in 40 different countries. The range of products consists of around 5,000 handicraft and food articles. Thus, the assortment ranges from jewelry and bags, to tableware and decorative pieces, right up to coffee, chocolate and spices. As a wholesale trader El Puente sells the goods to about 800 fair trade shops in Germany and in some neighboring countries.

 

Organization Structure

The organization structure of El Puente is pretty unique because of the so called “Partner Committee” (PaCo) which offers the producer organizations the opportunity to be an equal co-owner of the company. Moreover, El Puente has a special body which controls the activities of El Puente independently: New trade partners, whose products shall be incorporated in El Puente’s assortment, need to be approved by this body, the so called PPA (“Projektpartnerausschuss”). Detailed questionnaires, completed by the partner organizations, serve as the main basis for the approval.

 

Local Activities

The city of Hildesheim in Northern Germany is the birthplace of El Puente. It continues to be the location for many activities, which are mainly initiated by the El Puente association. The only store in the ownership of the El Puente association by is located in the very centre of Hildesheim. There, El Puente offers products and carries out various activities and educational events. “With the development policy-related educational activities which are organized by many committed people on a voluntary basis, we make people more aware of Fair Trade”, Richard Bruns, founder of El Puente explains. Many of these activities are supported by the El Puente foundation which promotes educational work in developmental- and socio-political topics in Germany.

 

WFTO Guarantee System

El Puente is a WFTO member since 1997 and took part in the pilot project of the new WFTO Guarantee System in 2013. “The process of the WFTO-monitoring was extremely useful for us; we got very positive feedback for our work but also gained constructive criticism which helps us to improve,” Martin Moritz, manager of El Puente Ltd. says.

 

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Name: El Puente
Head Office: Hildesheim, Germany
Date of foundation: 1972
Website: www.el-puente.de

 

Member of the Month

Oxfam Magasin du Monde

logo-oxfam-magasins-du-mondeOxfam-Magasins du monde is one of the main fair trade organisations in Belgium. It covers the regions of Wallonia and Brussels, while its sister organisation Oxfam-Wereldwinkels is active in Flanders. In 2012, the organisation turnover was equal to €5.8 million and it employed 55 full-time equivalent employees. It works with various fair trade partners in the South: directly with 33 handicraft partners and indirectly with 106 food and 18 cosmetics partners.

The main legitimacy of the organisation comes from its very strong movement of volunteers, more than 4,500, all organised in a democratic way: they manage themselves the world shops, vote for new producers to be added to the list of partners, etc. They also participate to various actions and campaigns on fair trade and economic justice issues.

In the next months, this campaigning work will focus on the coming elections, which in Belgium will take place at regional, federal, and European levels. As part of the larger ‘Vote4FT’ campaign, our main demands to the politicians will be to support fair trade of course, but also to put in place trade policies protective of human and workers’ rights. For Oxfam-Magasins du monde, it is clear that tragic events such as the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh are linked with economic pressures, forcing people to risk their lives in hope for a better future. In this context, sante-oxfampoliticians have a key role to play: putting in place an international trade framework, for example on base of fair trade, so that trade is better regulated and meets its societal goals (decent work, but also right to food, etc.). Beside the use of different tools (Vote4FT manifesto, articles, partners’ testimonies, campaign video, etc.), one major highlight of the campaign will be a public debate with EU Belgian candidates on March 4th in Brussels.

Name: Oxfam-Magasins du monde
Head Office: Wavre, Belgium
Date of foundation: 1976
Website: http://www.oxfammagasinsdumonde.be/

 

 

fairtrees_logo_green_eng


Every year, when people traditionally dance around their Christmas trees it is likely that few, if any, consider the fact that their Christmas tree probably originated in Georgia. The vast majority of seeds used for growing Christmas trees in Europe are sourced from Georgia, where both quality and production quantity are considerably higher.

coneDANGEROUS WORKING CONDITIONS
For decades, the cone pickers have been working at the risk of their lives. Harvesting of seeds in Georgia is carried out by hand and under primitive conditions. The Georgian cone pickers climb up into 30 m tall fir trees in order to reach the cones, which they then pluck and throw to the ground. The cone pickers work entirely without safety equipment, which means that occupational injuries – and fatal accidents – come with the territory of being a cone picker. Fair Trees® wants to improve working conditions for the Georgian cone pickers.

A BETTER LIFE THROUGH FAIR TRADE
Fair Trees® insists that all workers take a course on safety and that they use secure climbing equipment. The cone pickers are provided with labour insurance that covers the costs of occupational injuries as well as standard medical care. Furthermore, Fair Trees supports various social initiatives ensuring education and development in the cone picker community.

 

Websites: www.fairtrees.co.uk – www.fairtrees.de – www.fairtrees.dk –
www.fairtrees.at – www.fairtreesfund.com

 

Award winning Fair Trade fashion brands, Pachacuti and People Tree, will launch their first collections containing the WFTO Product Label. Both organizations, committed to meet the Fair Trade standards throughout their supply chain, are delighted to inaugurate the WFTO Product Label. First of its kind, the WFTO Product Label allows now consumers to detect Fair Trade businesses that hold a 100% commitment to Fair Trade in their activities. People Tree and Pachacuti follow and promote the WFTO’s core Principles of Fair Trade, covering fair wages, working conditions, transparency, capacity building, environmental best practice and gender equality. Fair practices are becoming increasingly important as people are getting more and more interested as well as informed about the ethics of supply chains.

 

people tree Product LabelPeople Tree, started already 20 years ago in Japan and has been pioneering a Fair Trade and organic cotton supply chain ever since its creation. The organization is very pleased to be among the first to launch the WFTO Product Label on their upcoming 2014 spring summer collection. This advancement is crucial as Safia Minney (MBE Founder and CEO of People Tree – UK and Japan) belives that “since the Rana Plaza tragedy, consumers want to know what to look for to be sure producers are treated well”.

 

 

pachacuti Product Label

Since becoming the world’s first Fair Trade Certified Organisation by the WFTO, Pachacuti has continued to work towards pushing standards higher and improving traceability and transparency within their supply chain. The organization is delighted to be among the first companies worldwide to use the WFTO Product Label on their new collection of Panama hats and beach bags, launched at the London Fashion Week. Carry Somers (Founder and Managing Director at Pachacuti) expressed her deep satisfaction of this new upgrade: “This label is an exciting development and I am sure that it will develop into a widely-recognised mark which will become a guarantee of the highest social and environmental standards.”

 

 

Rudi Dalvai (President of the World Fair Trade Organization) expressed his deep gratitude as well: “World Fair Trade Organisation is delighted that People Tree and Pachacuti will launch the new global Fair Trade product label at London Fashion Week. I’m Italian and love fashion, but I love good ethics too! People Tree and Pachacuti are skillfully combining both aspects.”

 

picture hat 1

 

View the original press release : pachacuti press release

For PR enquires or more information please contact:

People Tree  
Mia Hadrill
People Tree
5 Huguenot Place, 17a Heneage Street
London, E1 5LN
Email: mia.hadrill@peopletree.co.uk
Tel: 020 7042 8935
Pachacuti
Carry Somers
Pachacuti Ltd
19 Dig Street, Ashbourne
Derbyshire DE6 1GF, UK
Email: carry@panamas.co,uk
Tel: 07545135015

Ferrara 2010 (1)
Tuttaunaltracosa is the annual Fair Trade caravan that leads workshops, Fair Trade centrals, craftsmen from the southern hemisphere and volunteers from all over Italy to an happening, every year in a new town.
From the first edition in 1994, Tuttaunaltracosa has toured a great deal of big Italian cities (Milan, Genoa, Modena, Ferrara, Lecce, Naples, Reggio Emilia and many more). 40,000 visitors in three days, over 100 exhibitors from all over Italy and promotion of local solidary economies, exhibitions, conferences. Since 2007 the national fair of fair trade is under the high patronage of the President of the Republic.
Energy will be the key word for the 2013 edition of Tuttaunaltracosa. Clean energy, because the production and supply chains of fair trade are always trying to ensure maximum respect for the environment. Young and vital energy, thanks to the daily commitment of thousands of volunteers throughout Italy. But above all, energy that moves the minds, that circulates thoughts, gives oxygen to the ideas and broadens horizons: the most intense among all energies, which again Tuttaunaltracosa wants to turn on in all those who want to visit the spaces and the initiatives of the fair.
 
The appointment for everyone, then, is from October 4th to October 6th in Ferrara (Piazza Ariostea), near Reggio Emilia, from 9 am until late at night. Free entry. Reggio Emilia 2011 (1)
At Tuttaunaltracosa you can also meet the young people from Tuttounaltrocampo, the international work camp that is an apprenticeship group in a fair, a laboratory of ideas and friendships.
It is inspired from the former principles of Fair Trade and aims to share the vision of today and above all the projects of the future in an environment without national borders. Young people from all over the world coming for more than ten days to discuss Fair Trade, sustainable development, environmental politics and to meet the producers that will be present at Tuttaunaltracosa.

 

During the 2013 Belgian Fair Trade Week (Semaine du Commerce Équitable), taking place during October (02-12) in Brussels, the CTB (Trade for Development Centre) will be supporting the activities of several actors engage in or promoting Fair Trade.

WFTO-Europe is one of the participants to this annual event, with a project called Un monde équitable, une personne à la fois. The main goal of WFTO-Europe’s activities is education and the promotion of Fair Trade and its principles, seeking to raise public awareness in general, but also giving an opportunity to people interested in Fair Trade to express their individual support.

Hence, WFTO-Europe’s project Un monde équitable, une personne à la fois invites us each to see public support for Fair Trade values as something that can be built step by step, one person at a time. Photos of individuals holding the Fair Trade speech bubble ‘I support Fair Trade’ will be available in different languages. The final goal is to use these photos to build a world map of people supporting Fair Trade.

 

Our main objectives are to:

1)  Inform the public about Fair Trade and the European movement that supports it;

2)  Give visibility to the positive impacts of Fair Trade on Global Development;

3)  Invite the public to get involved in discussions concerning Fair Trade;

4)  Give visibility to the general public support towards Fair Trade principles and values.