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 Just what is fair trade? While 4,700 trade delegates from scores of nations convened recently in Cancun, Mexico, to debate the nuances of agricultural reform, a group of farmers and artisans sought to answer this larger question.
Stationed a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Organization’s fifth ministerial conference, the group offered its answer in the form of a “Fair Trade Fair.” Organizers displayed African beadwork, Indonesian handcrafts, Ghanaian chocolate, Nepalese clothing and Guatemalan coffee.
The implication: fair trade is multi cultural, invests in communities and promotes economic self-reliance. “Indigenous cultures have been pioneers (in) fair trade,” said Rigoberta Menchu Tum, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Guatemala and a leading advocate of Indian rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation. She added that “we still have a long road to walk.”
One colorful display featured jewelry and handcrafts produced by communities supported by World Vision’s Brazil program. This program includes agricultural and craft-related projects that employ 5,600 people in eight of Brazil’s states.
On the last day of the WTO conference, representatives from World Vision’s Brazil program spoke to non-governmental organizations about fair-trade marketing and education. Glayson Santos, fair-trade manager for the World Vision in Brazil, highlighted some of his office’s successful educational strategies for creating awareness, social responsibility and a gradual acceptance of fair-trade practices among producers, retailers and consumers.
“We want to make it clear that trade has to be fair and provide benefits for poor producers and communities,” Santos said.
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