IFAT votes WFTO

On a day when the New York Times predicted ongoing financial turbulence, 'serious dislocations will plague the economy even if the coordinated bailouts announced this week succeed in restoring confidence to credit markets', an optimistic World Fair Trade Organization held its first global board meeting. 

Paul Myers, President; Claribel David, Vice President and Asia Agent; Moctar Fall, Africa Agent; Paul Deighton, Secretary and Pacific Agent; Catalina Sosa, Latin America Agent; Carola Reintjes, Europe Agent; and Global Agents Lucas Caldeira, Illiana Cordon and Erika Spil; took their new seats with an air of quiet confidence - though their eyes gave away their excitement.

Nature seemed to be with them. After 8 days of thunder, lightening and Indian Ocean rains, calm settled over Marawila, Sri Lanka, where both the Asia Conference and the Global AGM were held and the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) metamorphosed into he World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

The agenda was clear, to agree a framework and implement the strategies and tools for change - change that will impact poverty, climate change and financial crisis; issues that producers the world over are all too familiar with, and the rest of us are finding it tough to get to grips with right now.

Their strategy is simple and bold. To take 60 years of worldwide Fair Trade experience and reengineer it to meet the extraordinary needs of people, communities, organizations, businesses and the planet, right here, right now.

The WFTO has some new tools. The Sustainable Fair Trade Management System is an organizational certification programme that will transform just about any business into an FT100 company. And if you think you know what that is you'll probably have to think again.

The FT100 is the index of WFTO member organizations, all of whom are 100% committed to Fair Trade and tackling the issues of poverty, climate change and financial crisis. The FT100 will evolve into a powerful public listings engine with measures beyond volume and value. The navigable index will allow you to find out who's doing what, with whom, where and why; bringing transparency, traceability and social and environmental impact into public scrutiny for the first time.

The Charter of Generic Fair Trade Principles, a document drawn up in collaboration with the Fairtrade Labelling Organization, will provide the minimum global standards for anyone claiming Fair Trade status, bringing clarity to the meaning of Fair Trade and exposing those companies and organizations who exploit the name without respecting the values. You have been warned.

And the WFTO has World Fair Trade Day, that falls on the 9th May 2009 and is set to become a powerful media open to anyone who shares the values of Fair Trade, sound environmental practice and a sustainable economy. World Fair Trade Day is being being talked about as 'Big Bang' and will provide the launch date for a new and sustainable agenda world wide. Watch this space.

This 'Agenda for Change' kicked-off in Blankenberge, May 2007, when artisans, farmers, growers, cooperatives, networks, businesses and brands with a 100% commitment to Fair Trade, called on its elected representatives to implement the strategic review and global restructuring - they haven't done a bad job given that was just 18 months ago and World Fair Trade Day is just 6 months off.

"We were asked by our membership to identify who we are, what we stand for and what we won't stand for; and to integrate our systems, charter of Fair Trade principles and a regionalization programme. In the end it was unanimous that we should call ourselves the World Fair Trade Organization, and to put our identity to good purpose in the regions, in the countries, in World Fair Trade Day and in everything we do.  I want to say to you that we are, in a very deliberate manner, addressing all of the issues we took on, by the end of 2009. So what I want to say to you is; if you agree that we should change our name to the World Fair Trade Organization, if you say 'yes', we have a good deal more work to do. If we truly believe that Fair Trade is both sustainable and effective, then it is the solution to the financial crisis." Paul Myers, President.

In an open vote, Fair Trade Agents from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific regions, collectively decided that the time for talking was over and the time for a new drive to impact poverty, climate change and the financial crisis was due. The vote, counted three times, was recorded 91% in favour. A big day for the planet, indeed.

The creation of a sustainable economy with solutions for poverty, climate change and financial crisis is coming around the corner, and can be easily identified as a 100% commitment to Fair Trade. If you agree it's time for change, that sustainability, accountability and transparency are critical to the way the world goes about it's business, maybe it's time you voted WFTO too.