Equal Exchange's 20th Anniversary Stakeholder Summit

Highlights from the workshops on July 14, 2006

TRACK 1 - Small Farmer Solidarity

WORKSHOP - Problems for Small Scale Producers:

• Lack of access to the international market and the need for the expansion of that market
• Need for capacity building to strengthen the co-ops e.g. financial training
• Restrictive government policies e.g. land ownership, banking regulations, export/tax policies, infrastructure to support small farmers
• Insufficient price reward for quality

• Traders: Need to have an agreed upon agenda on how to best support producers
• Producers: Need meaningful participation in FLO Governance
• Movement Groups: Need to advocate directly to FLO about producers’ concerns

• Create an alternative leadership structure to TFUSA/FLO to rediscover the roots of Fair Trade
• Strengthen relationships throughout the supply chain, not only link to link, but throughout it
• Provide a place for issues of race, gender & power to be discussed

• Increase cooperative ownership, creating models of co-ownership for the whole Fair Trade supply chain from producer to consumer
• Have aggressive education and promotion of the co-op difference at the heart of Fair Trade
• Mobilize the global co-op community as advocates for the small producer

• Is all Fair Trade equal? No. Some Fair Trade volume is more valuable. Some results in more engaged consumers, stronger standards, and more capable producers
• Large public corporations should follow standards, and the standards should be set by Fair Trade organizations. Public corporations should meet minimum volumes (e.g. 5%) and do more consumer education.
• Fair Trade success is not measured by volume but by stronger producer organizations and educated consumers.

1. Mutual Learning – e.g. traders and producers should know each others’ measures of success
2. Economic Stability – e.g. success of traders and retailers are linked to the success of primary level co-ops
3. Collaborative Problem Solving - e.g. face to face meetings between producers & buyers on tough & complex questions

• Fair Trade Activists will buy 3x more than they already do
• Have Fair Trade Households
• Establish Fair Trade neighborhoods where Fair Trade businesses & households cluster together, support each other and strengthen the ties between shoppers & producers