Fair Trade Cities and Towns Conference wraps up

29 September, 2024
PRESS RELEASE - The three-day Fair Trade Cities and Towns Conference wrapped up on Sunday 21 September at the Nederburg Wine Estate outside Paarl. This was the first time that this conference was presented on the African continent. Drakenstein Municipality was selected to be the host city in 2023 after it self-declared as a Fair Trade City three years earlier.

This partnership between the National Government, Local Government, Municipality, and Private Sector provided a platform to host an international delegation representing countries from around the world, centred around the theme of "Cultivating Equitable Economies."

President of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) Roopa Mehta delivered the opening remarks on Friday in which she praised the collaboration between Drakenstein Municipality and the organisation’s regional network for Africa and the Middle East in hosting the event. She acknowledged the role of this partnership in bringing the first Fair Trade Cities and Towns International Conference to African soil.

Mehta also expressed confidence that the delegates would greatly benefit from the shared experiences and enjoy the hospitality of Drakenstein and South Africa, reaffirming the World Fair Trade Organisation’s commitment to supporting these campaigns globally.

Welcoming delegates to the conference, Councillor Stephen Korabie, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality said: "Fair trade has the power to transform lives, communities and economies. Obtaining Fair Trade City status has been a significant milestone in Drakenstein Municipality’s growth and development. It marks our commitment to promoting fair trade practices and supporting local producers in Drakenstein and ensuring that our community benefits from equitable trade relationships."

Markus Ochsenkühn, the Lord Mayor of Neumarkt, also addressed the event. Expressing his support for the ongoing partnership between Neumarkt and Drakenstein, he stressed the importance of municipal-level action in driving global sustainability and fairness, stating, "Fair trade is proof that it can work well by ensuring producers receive a higher, fairer price for their products."

He further explained that Fair Trade not only provides better prices for producers but also invests in social infrastructure, benefiting local communities.

"Fair Trade aims to change unfair trading conditions by offering an alternative and through educational work," he told delegates, encouraging cities around the world to embrace these principles for a more equitable future.

Several important discussions were held over the three days, including one panel that focused on how sustainability movements can contribute to African economies. One of the speakers on this panel was Hisham El Gazzar, an entrepreneur who built Yadawee, a Fair Trade business in Egypt that specialises in handcrafted products.

"There are restrictions within the craft industry, and artisans are expected to do too much - design, exporting, logistics, all of it. They need support to run their businesses. It is not easy working with artisans, but it presents an opportunity," said Hisham. "Fair Trade opens doors to new markets and helps create a demand for sustainable products internationally."

Noko Masipa MP explained that the biggest challenges in SA were market readiness, and the risk associated with farming. Masipa sits on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development. "Last year agriculture faced natural disasters costing R4 billion. The sector needs disaster insurance and we need commercial banks to come on board," he said.

Senior Manager-Economic Growth and Tourism at the Drakenstein Municipality Cheryl Phillips added that sustainability should be "embedded in what we do every day, not something extra."

Wrapping up this discussion, Hisham El Gazzar pointed out that many see sustainability as a luxury, but he cautioned that this was not true.

"Sustainable craft should be matched with sustainable tourism. We don’t always need to export out of Africa to the US. Focus on selling to neighbouring countries, where few product adaptations are required. Africa should focus on what we have," he said.

The international Fair Trade Town movement began nearly a decade ago with a pioneering initiative by the local Oxfam Group in Garstang, United Kingdom. The success of this initiative led to the establishment of over 2,000 Fair Trade Town campaigns in 30 countries, all focused on promoting Fair Trade practices. The conference outside Paarl marked a milestone in advancing Fair Trade principles.Participation in Fair Trade Cities and Towns initiatives empowers communities and supports sustainable development by ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions for producers in developing countries.