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.