Fair Trade in Asia: Successes and Challenges

Fair Trade in Asia: Successes and Challenges

By Mr. Chitra Bahadur KC, President of WFTO ASIA

WFTO ASIA, formerly called ASIA Fair Trade Forum was convened in 2001 and registered as an organization in 2002. On its 10^th year anniversary as an organization of Fair Trade producers, marketing organizations and business support service providers and advocates in Asia, WFTO ASIA awarded the first winner of REWARD ASIA.
REWARD ASIA is a biennial event organized by WFTO ASIA to recognize and award Fair Trade Organization (food and craft) and to encourage excellence for its continuous and dependable effort to make Fair Trade work better for the disadvantaged farmers and artisans so that they become change agents and better actors in the sustainability chain,therefore achieving positive contribution to the Asian society.
The 2012 OUTSTANDING FAIR TRADE ORGANIZATION CRAFT CATEGORY and other 3 Finalists: Sana Hastakala, Corr the Jute Works and Danyun

The next search will be announced in April 2014.

Fair Trade is now visible in 18 countries(BANGLADESH, CAMBODIA, CHINA, HONG KONG, INDIA, INDONESIA, KOREA, LAOS, MALAYSIA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TIMOR LESTE, VIETNAM) with 134 registered Fair Trading organizations in South East and South Asia compared to 12 countries with 50 registered Fair Trading organizations when Asia Fair Trade Forum, now WFTO ASIA, was convened in 2001.Fairtrade Network of Asian Producers, which was established in 2007, presently have 200 registered organizations (including 4 food member organizations of WFTO ASIA).
WFTO ASIA has developed some mechanism to increase the number of individual advocates around Asia and around the world. Let us make you and me and people in all corners of the world become Friends of Fair Trade!
Friends of Fair Tradeare advocates who will champion Fair Trade. They are individuals who wish to be part of the network by sharing their time, skills, expertise and resources to promote Fair Trade in their respective countries LIKE YOU, me, all of us!Friends of Fair Trade ASIA now have coordinators in 6 countries around the world,in France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, USA and the Philippines.
FTG Nepal and FTF India among others are cooperating with the government to promote Fair Trade and Fair Trade products.
WFTO Philippines cooperated with the different Social Enterprises for the creation of Social Enterprise Bill in the Phils
Seoul City is now a FairTrade City after its Mayor signed the Fair Trade Declaration on May 11, 2013 during the celebration of WFTDay
Institutional linkages with Consumer International, Asian Solidarity Economy, Impact Investment Exchange, Institute of Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, other Universities who helps in the promotion of Fair Trade

WFTO ASIA Challenges:

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  CONSUMER AWARENESS
  
• 
  MEETING PRICE AS PER INFLATION OF RAW MATERIAL
  
• 
  IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH FAIR TRADE GUARANTEE SYSTEM