An example of inclusive fair trade? Ever heard of cooperative or participative supermarket projects? These citizens’ initiatives break with the tradition of mass distribution and opt for local, organic and fair trade, quality products. At the same time, they aim to remain financially accessible and promote social integration. But do they work? What is a […]
Author: Evi Coremans
Aba Sholi: quality leads the way
Aba Sholi in Rwanda produces internationally recognised coffee. Thanks to the help of Valérie Vangeel, one of the coaches at Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre, the cooperative has made a lot of good progress. They’ve learnt how to optimise their costs, guarantee the excellent quality of their coffee, and help their members in the fight against climate change. The cooperative has also improved its infrastructure and been able to attract more members.
“The first time I got off the bus in Boni, the driver looked at me strangely,” recalls Trui Rachels. But the residents of this village in Burkina Faso immediately agreed to work with her. This is how Chéry Faso came about: a non-profit organisation that tells the real story of African mothers through pure shea butter. Trui is happy to share her experiences.
Annual report TDC-Enabel 2020
2020, the year that will be etched into our collective memory as the Covid-19 year. Proximity plays an important role in the TDC’s activities, in our coaching programme and the Fair Trade Week. So, 2020 therefore was a year in which a lot of flexibility had to be shown. Read the annual report and discover how we did that and what successes the TDC achieved in a difficult year.
Short chain is about much more than ‘a few kilometres between the producer and the consumer’. It is firstly about the autonomy of farmers, about producers who can decide on their pricing and business operations for themselves. Sofie Vanthournout Tweet “Voedselteams (‘food teams’) is a movement of people wanting more control over how their food […]
Cobalt: you never see it, but it’s there in many of your home devices. Cobalt is an important raw material that makes batteries last longer. In 2019, 60% of global cobalt production came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The conditions under which the mineral is mined there are often abysmal. “The Fair Cobalt […]
Brussels residents and fair trade
Between 30 June and 2 August 2020, Incidence, on behalf of Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre, carried out the 2020 edition of the fair trade barometer, a survey that aims to assess the awareness of fair trade in Belgium and the opinion and behaviour of Belgians in this area.
The Trade for Development Centre (Enabel) and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office, in cooperation with FASS-food project, would like to invite you to our webinar ‘Local Fair Trade initiatives in Europe’ the 27th of May. Check the agenda and register here!
In France, the development of local fair trade has been the result of both South-North trade initiatives, such as Ethiquable or Alter Eco, and the French small farmers movement. The national law on fair trade provides a framework for the approach, as does the ‘Origine France’ fair trade charter. And no fewer than 8 labels can be used to certify products or services. A brief overview
Elecosy: from elephant poo to paper
Making paper from elephant poo? That’s exactly what Elecosy does, a fair trade company founded in 2013 in Kanegem, West Flanders. Co-founder Frank Cockerill talks about his commitment to the environment and rural communities in Sri Lanka and India.