First Panel Question: “What are the key challenges facing the movement right now?”
Bernard Outah, Regional Director of the World Fair Trade Organization – Africa, talked about:
- Being a fair trade country was not a badge but a call to action.
- There was a gap between produc1ers and sellers.
- We must change global trade rules that are unfair.
- We need to see the movement grow in the South as there aren’t
many fair trade countries in the Global South. - We should build on connections between north and south (which
is exactly what was happening at the conference).
Emihle Mbuli, Young WFTO Africa Advocate, commented that:
- The youth is the base of the future.
- The youth is the bridge.
- The youth are caged due to inequalities and are looking for opportunities to make a difference.
- Fair trade can reduce youth unemployment and gender inequalities.
Elena Fernandez-Lee, Education Campaigning Manager, UK Fairtrade
Foundation, spoke about:
- There is a gap between youth in schools and universities with their communities.
- Young people tend not to trust institutions.
- The young people are instinctive digital campaigners.
- We need to learn how to campaign with youth.
- We have to appreciate that young people obtain their information
- in different ways.
- Currently the far right dominates traditional communication
- methods. The young people don’t listen to those platforms.
- Now, only 30% of the UK population thinks that democracy works.
- Only 8% of population think that individual action works.
Milan Bhattarai, Director, Get Paper Industry, Nepal, stated that:
- Get Paper was a handmade paper manufacturer who started 30 years ago.
- They only use recycled paper and will not cut down trees to make it.
- Currently every tonne of paper comes from 17 trees being cut down.
- Every tonne of paper that Get Paper Industry exports they plant 17 trees.
- They train people in how to make paper, decorative boxes, as well as skills in leadership, especially women.
Luis Heller, Administration Manager, Allpa & Board Member, and WFTO
Latin America, reported that:
- Fairtrade has to integrate communities to change the trade
situation. - We need to challenge human rights abuses and advocate for
fairer economic systems. - We should break the ice between Global North & South
disparities. - Participation of all people in the process is very important.