Fairtrade ANZ is representing some of the most successful Fairtrade Certified producer groups from the Pacific region at the inaugural Trade Pasifika event this week in Nadi, Fiji. The Fairtrade booth is showcasing commodities from different regions in Papua New Guinea (PNG) which include Fairtrade and organic certified cocoa, coffee and vanilla
Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers, offering producers a better deal, improving terms of trade and giving consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their every day shopping.
Fairtrade ANZ supports small-holder farmers in the Pacific and PNG to access the international Fairtrade market through its Producer Support and Relations project, aimed at facilitating training in local languages, providing guidance on Fairtrade Certification requirements, helping producers to gain access to new markets, facilitating relationships with buyers, liaising with support agencies, and promoting the development of a regional Fairtrade network.
Fairtrade enables Pacific based farmers, workers and their communities to grow and develop their businesses ensuring they can improve and sustain the livelihoods of their families and communities. More than 60,000 small producers in the Pacific currently benefit from the Fairtrade system, and this number is set to grow in coming years alongside the Fairtrade market in Australia and New Zealand, which in 2011 experienced a growth in overall Fairtrade retail sales of 35% percent on the previous year reaching AU$202 million.
For more information about Fairtrade ANZ’s Producer Support and Relations project click here.
