Elaine Ashley - Bristol, UK Fairtade Network - Day 2 !

The coffee is in evidence - maybe to soak up the effects of the partying last night that I think some people did :)
We have already had some interesting discussions over breakfast  at our hotel ( no time is wasted ) about the complication of product certification.
We are hearing now from the COO from Fairtrade International - we were meant to be hearing from the CE but he is currently at the UN - so that seems a valid excuse for not being here .  The COO is reminding us that Fairtrade International is a membership organisation with 50% membership - and therefore the vote and influence - is with producers. That is a major beneficial feature of the Fairtrade system for me - equity of power and influence - no matter where you sit in the supply chain - no matter where you live - no matter what your economic status - no matter your gender.

We all had some interesting workshops yesterday . One that I particularly appreciated involved looking a bit deeper into the Sustainable Development Goals and seeing how Fair Trade can be seen as a tool to make progress on many of them . This may prove useful when trying to influence bodies who see the relevance of the SDG's and want to be seen to contribute to achieving them.

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