The time that the production of organic and fair food was a business of farmers in the poor South and consumption was the business of the rich in the North is over. Some countries in the South with a growing middle class are opening up to sustainable consumption. We explore the emerging African organic and fair trade market.
Consumers relate fair trade to products of ‘small farmers’ who work in cooperatives. This image is not really correct because already in 1994 a first large tea plantation became fair trade certified. Twenty years later fair trade labels source bananas, tea, flowers and wine from large farm businesses, while the debate whether this is the way to go is still raging. Central to the debate is the living wage concept, a fair wage for all workers – including seasonal workers
Better market access for producers in four Trade for Development Centre projects. What do Palestinian cooperatives, Peruvian loggers, Bolivian organic farmers and Congolese coffee growers have in common? They all look for a way out of poverty and conflict by strengthening their organisation and searching for markets for their improved products. To achieve that dream each of them received a real boost of the Trade for Development Centre.
There is a lot of potential for high quality and uniquely designed fashion accessories and artifacts in both Kenya and Tanzania. With the rise in demand for these products among the locals due to the growth of the middle class, special emphasis needs to be put to target this group.
Cotton is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide. The cotton sector is subject to very unstable prices. This is especially to the disadvantage of African producer countries where cotton is often the only source of revenue for millions of farmers and workers. Moreover, the cotton sector is subject to serious environmental and health risks. To deal with these, African cotton growers must look for credible alternatives such as fairtrade and/or organic cotton.
The demand for timber and timber products is increasing worldwide. 20 to 40% of all timber imported into Europe is derived from illegal logging. The European Union could no longer remain unaware of these market-disturbing practices. After long deliberations the European Parliament and the Council approved a Regulation in 2010 that prohibits the importation of illegally-logged timber. The EU Timber Regulation enters into force on 3 March 2013.
A mobile phone, smartphone, PC, laptop or tablet: few of us can do without them. But who considers the genuine cost of a phone conversation or an e-mail sent? Who thinks about the raw materials, the working conditions and the ecological impact behind modern electronics?
The thorny Tara tree is weathered by the climate of the Peruvian high plateaus. Even before the Inca times its seeds were already used for dying fabrics, tanning leather or making medicines. Over the last few years this tree has become part of an impressive boom thanks to the growing demand for natural ingredients and raw materials in the processing industry. For some farmers’ organisations in Peru that boom is a boon.
While bananas are curved, the banana business is crooked. Cutthroat competition, social exploitation and a lack of ecological cultivation are standing issues. But how are these brown spots on the ‘green gold’ doing today?
With almost a quarter of the global population and approximately 10% annual growth over the last 20 years, China has become the foremost power at the beginning of the third millennium. A middle class has emerged over the last years which closely resembles Europe and the United States in terms of buying behaviour. This change, which is both cultural and economic, goes hand in hand with new demands from younger generations, which are sensitive to social and environmental issues.
