Les bon coups du commerce équitable !

Forte croissance du marché équitable !!
________________________

For immediate release
July 4th, 2006

Worldwide sales of Fair Trade products rise by a third as Fair Trade sales in Canada reach 47%

New figures released today by the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) International reveal that global sale of Fair Trade Certified products have increased by 37% between 2004 and 2005.

Meanwhile in Canada, TransFair Canada recently announced that Canadian sales of Fair Trade products have increased by 47% in 2005. TransFair Canada is a member of FLO which unites 20 national initiatives across Europe, Japan, North America, Mexico and Australia/New Zealand. Global Fair Trade figures are unveiled to coincide with the publication of FLO’s annual report for 2005.

The speed at which the sales are growing shows an increasing demand from consumers for a positive model of trade which is fairer and more sustainable for farmers and is helping them to bring development to their communities.

“Fair Trade Certification significant worldwide growth in 2005 also shows that more and more producers, traders and licensees trust the Fair Trade Certification Mark and look to join the system. Increasingly, companies are knocking on the door of the labelling organizations because they want to have the Certification Mark on their products. In only one year, from 2004 to 2005, the number of licensees offering Fair Trade Certified products increased by 29%. The certification system is absolutely independent from any interest, and this is what people trust”, says Luuk Zonneveld, managing director of FLO International.

One of the more recent companies to join is Marks and Spencer, one of the largest food and clothing retailers in the UK. The entire range of Marks & Spencer’s coffee and tea, totaling 38 lines, switched to Fairtrade in a move which is estimated to increase the value of all Fairtrade instant and ground coffee sold in the UK supermarkets by 18%, and increase the value of Fairtrade tea by approximately 30%. But Marks and Spencer is only one out of several of companies around the world that have become involved in Fairtrade in 2005, representing a growth of 29% from 1151 in 2004 to 1483 licensees in 2005.


The increase in the Fair Trade range and Fair Trade sales means that more producer organizations are able to sell to the Canadian Fair Trade market. Globally, the number of certified producer organizations has grown by 127% since 2001 to 548 groups in 58 countries and the number of registered traders has increased by 132% in the same period.
“The Fair Trade system encourages farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America to organize into democratically run groups and implement changes in agricultural practices. This ensures that the gradual improvements which Fair Trade makes possible are sustainable, giving communities a real chance to build a brighter future,” says Luuk Zonneveld.

Tadesse Meskela, General Manager of Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Co-operative Union in Ethiopia explained: “With Fair Trade coffee, farmers in Ethiopia are getting their deserved reward. Fair Trade is not just about selling and buying. It is creating a global family.” Mr. Meskela told how the collapse in coffee prices has affected farmers. For most of the last six years coffee prices have remained below the cost of production, causing immense hardship for millions of farmers. In 2001, prices plummeted to just 45 US cents per lb and farmers in Ethiopia were forced to sell the corrugated iron roofs from their homes. Thanks to Fair Trade there is now hope for some of the farmers who have lived through such desperate times.

FLO is investing more and more resources back into producer organizations: in 2005 it set up the Producer Business Unit to increase the support to Fair Trade Certified producer organizations. The Unit brought together the previous Product Managers and Producer Support structures within FLO, and now numbers 10 people in Bonn, Germany, as well as a growing number of locally-based “Liaison Officers”. Thanks to a partnership with the Dutch business advisory organizations SNV, the number of liaison officers on the ground has increased to 25 and a further 5 will be recruited by the end of the year. It is expected that 370 producer organizations, representing 600,000 families, will benefit from the cooperation between SNV and FLO.

For copies of the 2005 annual report and/or further information, please contact Verónica Pérez, Communication Officer, at FLO International.

Email: v.perez@fairtrade.net Tel:++49 228 949 2314 Website: www.fairtrade.net

Et si les producteurs du Sud étaient propriétaires des entreprises qui les distribuent au Nord..?
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IFAT News
Farmers’ Stake in Divine Chocolate Increases to 47%

Original founding partner Body Shop International has donated its 14% share of Day Chocolate Company to Kuapa Kokoo, the Ghanaian cocoa farmers’ cooperative which launched the Fairtrade company in 1998

Kuapa Kokoo, the Ghanaian cocoa farmers’ cooperative which set up the Day Chocolate Company in the UK in 1997, now owns 47% of the leading Fair Trade company. This further consolidates Day Chocolate’s unique proposition, proving the potential of farmer-ownership as a viable and fairer trading model with a developing country.

Kuapa Kokoo originally retained a 33% share of the business and has been closely involved with its development, while Body Shop International owned 14% of the shares. The Body Shop has announced it is donating its share to Kuapa Kokoo, while NGO Twin Trading retains its 52% share.

The Body Shop invested in The Day Chocolate Company in 1997. It bought a 14% stake in the business and provided a further £250,000 of capital via the purchase of preference shares. The Body Shop was already buying cocoa butter at fair prices from Kuapa Kokoo and was keen to support other ways the farmers could benefit from access to lucrative markets in the developed world. The Body Shop helped nurture the development of the new company, and actively promoted Divine, the flagship Fair Trade chocolate brand, through sales in its stores around the UK.

Kuapa Kokoo has grown to a co-operative of 47,000 farmer members, from 1200 villages across Central, Eastern and Western Ghana. It sells around 1% of the world’s cocoa, and 2-3% of this is sold to the Fair Trade market. Day Chocolate has been an amazing success, in a highly competitive market. From one 150g Milk Chocolate bar in 1998, the Divine brand has grown to fifteen different lines with a variety to tempt everyone, and listings in all the major supermarkets.

Bon... voici quelque chose de très curieux. Je ne suis pas encore pleinement convaincu qu'il s'agit d'un bon coup pour le CÉ, mais ça vaut un détour.
Je n'ai pas non plus vraiment démystifié ce que c'est: Art de Dire / FairTradeNet.

Un genre de réseau de professionnels indépendants regroupés dans une association sur le web. Des gens de disciplines variées qui offrent leurs services en respectant une mission et des principes qu'ils revendiquent eux-même du commerce équitable.

Si ça se révèle qu'ils appliquent effectivement les pricipes, on serait en présence d'un des premiers cas où une business "conventionnelle" aurait utilisé les "enseignements" du commerce équitable pour modeler ses pratiques commerciales.

http://www.fairtradenet.org/FR/mission.htm

à suivre...

message à compléter éventuellement (erreur...)

L'Écosse pour un commerce équitable !

www.scotland.gov.uk/News/News-Extras/fair-trade

Je ne savais pas trop où mettre cette info, mais c'est plutôt utile...
Au cours de l'organisation de la quinzaine du commerce équitable 2004, Équiterre et ses amis avaient préparé une petite feuille aide mémoire contenant des phrases à dire aux kiosques. L'info est parfois "passée date", mais ya surement quelques bonnes idées:
_________________________________________________

Saviez-vous que le commerce équitable permet aux paysans du Sud de se prendre en main, plutôt que de dépendre de la charité des pays du Nord ?

Saviez-vous que la différence du commerce équitable pour les producteurs du Sud, c'est une école, des services de santé, de l'eau potable ou une route donnant accès au marché local ?

Savez-vous que le commerce équitable, ce n'est pas seulement le café. C'est aussi le cacao, le thé, le sucre, le riz, l'artisanat ?

Saviez-vous que le commerce équitable fait vivre 800 000 familles de producteurs, soit 5 millions de personnes dans plus de 45 pays à travers le monde ?

Saviez-vous que, trois fois par jour, à l’heure des repas, chacun de nous peut contribuer à changer la logique purement industrielle d’agroalimentaire mondiale ?

Saviez-vous que, les ventes mondiales de produits équitables croissent de 10 % à 20 % par année depuis 1977?

Saviez-vous que les coopératives certifiés équitables sont gérées démocratiquement et s’engagent à réinvestire les revenus supplémentaires générés par le commerce équitable dans des projets de développement communautaire ?


CAFÉ ÉQUITABLE :

Saviez-vous que 28 % des buveurs de café québécois connaissent déjà l’existence du café équitable ? Êtes-vous l’un de ceux-ci?

Saviez-vous qu’un producteur de café qui vend sa récolte par l’intermédiaire du réseau du commerce équitable recevra près de 1,35$ pour une livre de café, comparativement à moins de 35 sous s’il l’avait vendue sur le marché conventionnel ?

Saviez-vous que de 1997 à 1999 les ventes de café équitable ont plus que doublé au Canada?


CHOCOLAT/CACAO ÉQUITABLE :

Saviez-vous que la certification équitable est la seule assurance que le cacao ne provient pas du travail des enfants ? Le commerce équitable mise sur l’éducation et n’autorise pas le travail forcé?

Saviez-vous que près de 300 000 enfants sont exploités 16 heures par jour dans des conditions de travail inhumaines dans les plantations de cacao d'Afrique ?

Saviez-vous que le commerce équitable, c'est 3 fois plus de revenus pour les producteurs avec 0,22$ par barre de chocolat de 50g contre 0,07$ sur le marché conventionnel ?

Saviez-vous que six multinationales contrôle 80% de la distributions de masse des principales marques de chocolat ?

Saviez-vous que les produits cacao constituent au Québec le deuxième produit bio alimentaire d’exportations , juste après le porc?

Saviez-vous que le réseau équitable du cacao regroupe 42000 familles de cultivateurs situées dans 8 pays ?


Thé équitable :

Saviez-vous que le thé est la boisson la plus bue dans le monde, il s’en boit 15000 tasses par seconde ?

Saviez-vous que 90 % du marché occidental du thé est contrôlé par sept multinationales ?

Saviez-vous que, au Kenya, 90 % des travailleuses dans les plantations de thé disent avoir subi ou avoir été témoins d’un abus sexuel à leur lieu de travail ?

Saviez-vous que le réseau équitable du thé regroupe 36 plantations et 12 associations de petits cultivateurs d’Asie et d’Afrique ?

Saviez-vous que le thé bio aiderait le corps à demeurer jeune et éloignerait cancers et maladies cardiovasculaires ?


Artisanat Équitable :

Saviez-vous que l’artisanat équitable encourage la diversité et respecte la culture locale ?

Saviez-vous que l’artisanat équitable appuie directement l’amélioration de la qualité de vie des femmes ?

Saviez-vous que le commerce équitable permet aux groupes d’artisans de vivre dignement et d’avoir accès à des marchés et à des échanges justes ?

Saviez-vous que l’artisanat équitable est aussi une source de sensibilisations à l’égard des conditions de travail et de l’ exploitations économique qui prévalent dans différentes industries?

Ca pourra être très utile pour le 13 septembre,date du lancement de l'association!
Jacqueline et moi-même auront quelques infos-choc pour les interressés!
(J'ai été nommé responsable des activités commerce équitable)

IFAT NEWS

Petit historique de la croissance de IFAT:

In 1989 IFAT had approximately 30 members. By 1993 it had already doubled to approximately 60 members; and in 2006 it is five times greater at approximately 300 members and still growing. In the early 1990s, there were 5 Executive Committee members. Today there are still only five members to represent us. The Secretariat in the early 1990s had 2 equivalent full time staff. Today the number of equivalent full time staff is approximately 4 persons. More recently regional offices have begun to develop. There are also subcommittees who assist with specific tasks.

During the past 17 years, expectations of the membership have also grown: market access, monitoring, labels, special budgets and projects, advocacy , etc. Two critical ratios are different today than before. Today the volume of Fair Trade products is greater for food than crafts. Earlier it was crafts. The number of IFAT "producer" members working with crafts is still larger than those focussing predominantly on food; but many believe the food producers should also become members of IFAT (and indeed this has started). Another critical ratio that has changed is the ratio of Norther members to Southern members. In the early 1990s IFAT's members came predominantly from the North; today 2/3s of the members come from the South.

Un membre d'IFAT est appelé en exemple lors d'une conférence d'une institution de l'ONU:

Comparte Declared Best Practice Case

On the 26th of October the ECLAC Economic Commission on Latin America and Caribbean from the United Nations organized a presentation on the export of handicraft goods from Latin America in Quito (Ecuador); Mr. Gerardo Wijnant, managing director of Comparte, which is one of IFAT’s oldest members accepted an invitation to come to present their case as one of the ‘best practices’. Big "Congratulations" and we hope they convince ECLAC on the importance of Fair Trade!


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Le membre d'Ifat Family of NEED se réjouit de la remise du Prix Nobel de la paix à son partenaire Mohammed Yunus, pionnier dans le micro-crédit:

Congratulations from India to Mohammed Yunus on Receiving Nobel Peace Prize

Dear Friends,

Nice Remembrance and Prayerful greetings to you and your team from the family of Grameen Equity of India, Lucknow (India).

It is a matter of great pride that our friend Professor Mohammed Yunus has been conferred Nobel Peace Prize for his exceptionally brilliant work in the areas of Micro-Finance. The family of NEED, Grameen Equity India, The Governing Board and everybody from here including millions of women, farmers, artisans and many stakeholders associated with NEED extend together a very warm and cordial salute to NEED's friend Mohammed Yunus.

NEED CEO Mr. Anil K. Singh, both in his individual and official capacity, has been associated with him in the areas of micro-finance and many development driven interventions for the last several years. Prof. Yunus will always remain taller and taller in his outstanding personalities across the world.

The Family of NEED

Fairtrade pricing information

According to NUSSL's current supplier of hot beverages, the Wicked Coffee Company, the difference in the price of Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade hot beverages is minimal. In fact, Fairtrade is often cheaper than non-Fairtrade owing to economies of scale. A price comparison with equivalent quality products using current NUSSL prices shows:

http://www.fairtradenus.org/price.php

Quelques extraits du dernier bulletin d'IFAT. La révolution e-FairTrade ?
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Coming Soon: Fair Trade From eBay US
eBay in the US is continuing to work on a specialty marketplace featuring handcrafted goods from artisans around the world. The objective is to extend eBay’s impact on artisan livelihoods and to expand the global market for artisan products through better visibility of products as well as attract more supply from producers.

The launch of the eBay Artisan Marketplace has been postponed to next year. This will give more (IFAT) producers the possibility to participate. If you want to receive email updates from eBay on the progress, please register at www.ebayartisans.com

Also Coming Soon: Fair Trade from eBay UK
The eBay companies in the different countries work independently. In the UK the work on an eBay market place for Fair Trade has also started. Here the intention is to work exclusively with IFAT members and with FLO (Fair Trade Foundation) certified products. In the first instance only products from UK-based Fair Trade Organizations will be offered, this to keep the logistics manageable. The launch is planned for May next year.

The Potential of eBay’s Artisan Marketplace for Fair Trade Producers
William Ingram works for IFAT-member Threads of Life and is interested in the potential of e-commerce solutions to increase direct sales by producers and producer groups in the South to consumers in the North. He writes:

“Many Fair Traders in the South are excited by the opportunities the internet offers for making sales in distant countries, but are also frustrated by the barriers to entry into this marketplace. Many of us have access to email, website authoring skills locally available at affordable prices, and solutions for generating electronic catalogues, such as CatGen. But to fully participate in the electronic marketplace we also need to close a sale with the speed and convenience that buyers expect from e-commerce, project ourselves as trustworthy organizations with reliable products and services, and process payment electronically.

“These last three issues are connected and the development of an Artisan Marketplace by eBay.com is to be much applauded for its potential to address these challenges. Payment solutions owned by eBay.com, such as those offered by PayPal.com (for low-risk transactions) and Escrow.com (for high-value sales), would fulfill much of the speed-trust-payment package that we need. But these websites block all access from internet connections from some countries in the South in an understandable effort to curtail internet fraud and protect their customers.”

E-commerce and Fair Trade Producers: An IFAT Member’s Experience
Threads of Life sells one-of-a-kind, high-value Indonesian traditional textiles and crafts to tourists and collectors through its gallery in Bali, and finds that its website, www.threadsoflife.com, is an important part of its marketing mix.

Threads of Life works directly with producer cooperatives and operates on a small profit margin that does not facilitate wholesale distribution. Tourism to Indonesia has become very volatile and Threads of Life is therefore looking to the internet as an alternative retail opportunity. Sales initiated over the email, either by responding to inquiries or sending JPG images to selected existing customers, represented 1% of sales in 2004 and 5% of sales in 2005. This was achieved without significant effort and the organization sees potential for further growth if it can develop an e-commerce solution that builds on the gallery’s reputation as a leader in the premium niche market that it serves. Its major challenge, however, is in receiving payment. In the past, payment for internet-generated retail sales was received via PalPal.com, Escrow.com, and direct bank transfer. However, both PayPal and Escrow have blocked access within the last year, leaving direct transfer as the only option.

From the IFAT e-newsletter:

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Fair Trade Towns Expanding Throughout the World
The Fair Trade town concept is expanding in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada and the USA. Members are encouraged to join these initiatives to ensure that value added products made by registered FTOs are also promoted and that registered FTOs are part of the criteria.

If you need more information, please contact Christine on globaljourney@ifat.org
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New Book Explains Reasons For Success of Fair Trade
In response to the growing interest in Fair Trade, the international Fair Trade movement launched Business Unusual, its first joint book, on 29 November.

�This publication comes at the right time: It shows that trading fairly is possible and economically viable. With steady growth rates of 20% to 30% per year, international Fair Trade sales of food and crafts are expected to reach �2 billion in 2006�, said Marlike Kocken, manager of EFTA (European Fair Trade Association), at the book�s launch in Brussels.

�Fair Trade has shown the way and pioneered truly responsible business practices�, added Linda McAvan, Member of the European Parliament. Rupert Schlegelmilch, Head of Unit for Sustainable Development in DG Trade, welcomed the publication of Business Unusual and said that the new book is particularly valuable because it looks beyond Fair Trade. �Fair Trade has been the market driver in the area of sustainable trading. The European Commission wants to step up its support in this area.�

Business Unusual � Successes and Challenges of Fair Trade shows how Fair Trade works in practice, based on the examples of coffee, rice, handicrafts, cotton and textiles. Written by experts in their fields, the book goes into the pioneering work of Fair Trade Organisations in developing a truly responsible business model. It also discusses some lessons from Fair Trade for trade policy making, looking behind the reasons for the stalemate in world trade negotiations.

Business Unusual is a reference book for everyone who wants to take an in-depth look behind the scenes of Fair Trade. The book is published by the four main international Fair Trade Associations: FLO (Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International), IFAT (International Fair Trade Association), NEWS! (Network of European Worldshops) and EFTA (European Fair Trade Association).

The English version of the publication is distributed by Fair Trade media in the United Kingdom (www.fairtrademedia.co.uk). You can order a book by calling +44 (0)845 009 9012 or by emailing elainef@pointov.com. The book will also be published in Spanish, German, Dutch, French and Italian.

P-O a écrit:

Bon... voici quelque chose de très curieux. Je ne suis pas encore pleinement convaincu qu'il s'agit d'un bon coup pour le CÉ, mais ça vaut un détour.
Je n'ai pas non plus vraiment démystifié ce que c'est: Art de Dire / FairTradeNet.

Un genre de réseau de professionnels indépendants regroupés dans une association sur le web. Des gens de disciplines variées qui offrent leurs services en respectant une mission et des principes qu'ils revendiquent eux-même du commerce équitable.

Si ça se révèle qu'ils appliquent effectivement les pricipes, on serait en présence d'un des premiers cas où une business "conventionnelle" aurait utilisé les "enseignements" du commerce équitable pour modeler ses pratiques commerciales.

http://www.fairtradenet.org/FR/mission.htm

à suivre...

[list][*]

FairTradeNet - en dehors du mouvement tigre-à-papier-é

Bonjour, bonsoir,

Je découvre ce message à l’instant et je « démystifie » volontiers.
Il s’agit d’un réseau de traducteurs/trices hautement qualifié(e)s qui subissent les tarifs absolument dérisoires que les agences et autres acteurs économiques offrent pour un travail qui demande non seulement une maîtrise parfaite de deux langues, mais le souci du détail et du travail bien fait, un talent de dire des choses compliquées d’une façon simple (art de dire) et une grande compétence dans la recherche des termes….

Ceci dit, nous nous sommes réunis il y a plus de cinq ans et avons décidé
• d’évaluer les compétences de ceux qui veulent se joindre à nous
• de travailler en équipe (traducteur et relecteur)
• de fixer un prix minimum par mot à traduire (plus que le marché offre)
• d’appliquer le même tarif pour tous les affiliés, peu importe le pays de résidence.
• d’accorder un tarif préférentiel aux clients en provenance des économies émergentes et un rabais aux associations et autres organismes à buts non lucratifs.
• de faire signer à nos affilié(é)s un code de conduite stricte http://www.fairtradenet.org/FR/ethics.htm

Parallèlement à la banane à prix équitable : un prix juste pour les prestations de services par Internet.

Nous avons présenté notre projet à la FAIR TRADE LABELING ORGANISATIONS INTERNATIONAL qui n’a pas daigné répondre pendant des longues semaines pour finalement, le 1er octobre 2002, envoyer une réponse négative signée par une stagiaire :
“There are no internationally agreed standards existing yet for e-work and therefore FLO cannot certify the initiative as such. Only products coming from the organisations that are inspected by FLO are allowed to carry the Fairtrade Label.”

Bon, bon, bon, le tigre de papier qui parle, et 5 ans plus tard, rien n’a changé, toujours pas de standard pour « e-work », on n’y pense même pas…

Par contre ebay - artisans - fair trade : au détriment des "magasins du monde" bien sûr et ce sera ebay qui remplira le rôle de "outsourcer" et qui encaissera en passant... exactement ce que nous combattons!

Nous avons donc continué avec notre idée et après des heures et des heures, et des mois de travail bénévole, nous avons trouvé les premiers clients (qui s’enfichent du FairTrade mais qui apprécient la qualité du travail).

Et cela marche. Pas pour tous les affiliés, car le mandat albanais vers le russe ou italien vers le turc, cela n’arrive pas tous les jours.

Notre slogan est toujours – « help us to make this world a better place – in a small way ». Pour certains, FairTradeNet a fait la différence, et la fait encore.

Cordialement

Maya Jurt
Initiatrice et administratrice de la
FairTradeNet Association, Genève, Suisse
maya.jurt@fairtradenet.org