One World Week : Peacing Together One World

17 – 24 October 2010

The role of Fairtrade in conflict zones

OWW 2010:Peacing Together One World

Content

• What is One World Week?

• What does Peacing Together One World mean?

• What is Fairtrade?

• Looking closer:

Fairtrade in Palestine, the Democractic Republic of Congo,Afghanistan and Uganda

One World Week

One World Week is a development education charity

Aim: to let others know about some of the global issues that affect us all and to recognise we can all be part of the change

One World Week event Portsmouth 2007

What is Peacing Together One World?

2010 marks the end of the UN “International decade for a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world”

How can we establish a culture of peace?

• personal inner peace• peace within the family• harmony within, and between, communities and across faiths• justice and non- violence on global scale

Where Fairtrade works

Fairtrade benefits more than 7.5 million people - farmers, workers and their families - in 59 countries

Mabale Growers’ Tea Factory Ltd, Uganda

What is Fairtrade?

Buying a product with the FAIRTRADE Mark means:

a fair and stable price for producers

an extra income, the Fairtrade premium, to invest in their business or community, to bring about change for the future

Fairtrade is a social movement aiming to alleviate poverty in the developing world through more equitable trade practices.

Linking peace and

economic justice

“Fairtrade projects… divert people, especially young men, away from violence into productive activities, and give more of them a real stake in peace and stability.”

(Developments magazine, issue 49)

Fairtrade does not claim to end long running political conflicts.

It does:• offer hope to individuals living in conflict zones • an opportunity to earn a fair price • provide vital trading links with the West so they can provide for their families • send a message that we in the West recognise their struggle and want to enter into a positive and empowering trade relationship with them.

Apricot farmer in Northern Pakistan © Tropical Wholefoods

‘Farmers in conflict-affected countries like Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan face tremendous difficulties in first growing and then finding a market for their goods, let alone at a fair price.’

Harriet Lamb, Executive Director, Fairtrade Foundation©

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Why conflict zones?

‘We started off working in a country affected by conflict, Uganda in the 1980s … It’s not deliberate, but we want to bring markets to farmers who would

otherwise struggle to find them, so we do end up working in areas that are isolated and have political problems.’

Kate Sebag, Fullwell Mill/Tropical Wholefoods

Why conflict zones?

Palestine

Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee ©

• 46% of the population live below the poverty line of $2 per day (2007)

• There are 9 million olive trees and 100,000 families rely on olive oil for their income

• Palestinian farmers find it difficult to farm as a result of Israeli-imposed political, economic and movement restrictions

Olive oil and olives from Palestine

Israeli military checkpoints, Kufor-Rai co-operative, Jenin

© Simon Rawles

‘In the past, we were often forced to sell our products at a loss due to the economic situation’Mahmoud Issa

© Simon Rawles

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

- Independence in 1960 - Socially and politically unstable

Only 5 countries in the world rank lower than the DRC in the Human Development Index

On average, people can expect to live to the age of 54

More than 50% of the country’s income relies on agriculture

© Twin Trading Ltd

SpecialitySpeciality

Coffee from DRCSOPACDI (smallholder coffee producer co-operative):

• based by Lake Kivu, near Rwandan border in Eastern DRC, an area disrupted by conflict since the 1990s

• 2,000+ members

• Twin Trading are helping to establish the group

• known to produce superb quality Arabica coffee - known as ‘green gold’

Farmers of Lusku © Twin and Twin Trading Ltd

“Post conflict situations present both great need and great opportunity, with potential for high impact, coupled with very significant risks and need for resources”

(Twin)

Afghanistan

•Over 25 years of war•High dependence on foreign aid

© Fullwell Mill / Tropical Wholefoods

Afghanistan has the 2nd highest mortality rate in the world

More than 70% of adults cannot read and/or write

One third of Afghanis live below the poverty line

Growing grapes for raisins

Raisins from Afghanistan

• Tropical Wholefoods aims to invest in and rebuild the raisin-processing industry

•Much vegetation and agricultural equipment was destroyed during the fighting

© USAID/Afghanistan

• The Shomali Plain is so fertile, it is known as the Garden of Kabul and famous for great grapes and raisins.

Look out for these packs!

Raisins from Afghanistan

‘Fairtrade pays fair prices. … most of our farmers are subsistence farming and grapes and grape products are the only commodities they are able to sell to provide an income for their families.’

© Fullwell Mill / Tropical Wholefoods

What is the Fairtrade Exceptions policy?

Where a third party based in the producer country is used to audit a producer group for certification because security and safety issues will not enable FLO-Cert to send auditors there personally.

This allows the benefits of Fairtrade to continue reaching the most marginalised groups and least developed countries.

Uganda – Country Profile

•Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country•Dictatorial regime in 1970s /war and abuses in 1980s

More than a third of the population lives on less than $2/day

A third of adults cannot read or write

84% of the population is Christian and 12% Muslim

Picking coffee cherries in Uganda

Coffee from Uganda

• Coffee farmers of three faiths (Jews, Muslims and Christians)

• Established in 2003 with assistance of US-based Jewish organisation, Kulanu

• Fairtrade certification in 2008• Co-op has grown to over 750 members• The farmers sell directly to US coffee importer,

Thanksgiving Coffee Company• Plans to invest in land and equipment, offer

microfinance and contribute to a variety of public health and educational projects

Mirembe Kawomera Coffee Cooperative Society- The Peace Kawomera

© Thanksgiving Coffee Company

Coffee from Uganda

‘We now work as a group without prejudices, this has enhanced a good working relationship in fighting poverty.’ Fende Aziz , coffee farmer, Muslim

© Rachel Namadousi, 2005

© Holly Moskowitz, 2009

‘There is a healthier relationship now between people compared to before. We respect each other and work together.’ Wilson Kyebo, coffee farmer, Christian

What can I do?

Get involved in Fairtrade

Fortnight

Start planning for OWW 2011 theme

about protecting our planet from

environmental breakdown

Pledge to use Fairtrade tea, coffee, cotton

uniforms at your place of worship,

school or community event

Spread the peace message

at Christmas with Fairtrade

peace products as presents

www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight

Sign up to OWW’s peace pledges

Peace with justice

‘I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one's own family, or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace .’

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

‘Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of Faith, Strength, Energy, Will, Sympathy, Justice, Imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism .’

Dorothy Thompson

Thank youAny questions?

www.oneworldweek.orgwww.fairtrade.org.uk