Presentation held at the Sustainable Foods Summit 2012, Amsterdam. In the year of the cooperatives, this presentation highlights the role cooepratives play in the Fairtrade system.
For 2012 the UN focuses on cooperatives “because cooperative enterprises contribute to reducing poverty for many families and communities”.
Members of cooperatives undertake voluntarily to get associated and better pool their individual resources. This social and participatory model stands for values that perfectly suit the fair trade values: payment of a fair price and obtaining fair incomes.
A cooperative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspiration through a jointly owned and democratically controlled business.
Cooperative societies are voluntary associations started with the aim of service to members.
Cooperative marketing consist of two words ‘cooperative or cooperation’ and ‘marketing’.
It is also the marketing ‘for the farmers’ and ‘by the farmers’ that aim at eliminating the chain of functionaries operating between the farmers and the ultimate consumers and thus securing maximum price for the farmer’s produce.
According to RBI “Co-operative marketing is a co-operative association of cultivators formed primarily for the purpose of helping the members to market their produce more profitably than is possible through private trade.”
According to FAO ‘Co-operative Marketing is a system through which a group of farmers join together to carry on some or all the process involved in bringing goods to the consumer.”
Humanizing the Economy with John Restakis, 5.31.12NFCACoops
John Restakis, executive director of the British Columbia Co-op Association and author of “Humanizing the Economy: Co-operatives in the Age of Capital,” asserts that it is the disconnection between conventional economics and social ends that lies at the heart of our economic crisis, and that co-operatives offer a powerful economic model to reconnect and relate social goals with economic practice.
Farmer Co-ops For Efficient Production & MarketingNFCACoops
This presentation by Erbin Crowell, Executive Director, Neighboring Food Co-op Association and Roger Noonan, President, New England Farmers Union, covers how co-operatives benefit their member-owners, farmers, consumers, and the food system. Learn how your operation could benefit by being part of a producer/marketing co-operative, and discover the steps involved in setting one up.
A collection of maps displaying data from "Monitoring the Scope and Benefits of Fairtrade," a report that details the benefits and impact of Fairtrade. For more studies, visit http://www.fairtrade.net/impact-and-research.html.
This is my final project for the course "Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains - WDR 2020" on which I have reflected some lessons learned regarding the importance of GVCs. My main aim at this project is to show how agricultural value chains have positive welfare effects referring to the Community Trade Programme of The Body Shop.
For 2012 the UN focuses on cooperatives “because cooperative enterprises contribute to reducing poverty for many families and communities”.
Members of cooperatives undertake voluntarily to get associated and better pool their individual resources. This social and participatory model stands for values that perfectly suit the fair trade values: payment of a fair price and obtaining fair incomes.
A cooperative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspiration through a jointly owned and democratically controlled business.
Cooperative societies are voluntary associations started with the aim of service to members.
Cooperative marketing consist of two words ‘cooperative or cooperation’ and ‘marketing’.
It is also the marketing ‘for the farmers’ and ‘by the farmers’ that aim at eliminating the chain of functionaries operating between the farmers and the ultimate consumers and thus securing maximum price for the farmer’s produce.
According to RBI “Co-operative marketing is a co-operative association of cultivators formed primarily for the purpose of helping the members to market their produce more profitably than is possible through private trade.”
According to FAO ‘Co-operative Marketing is a system through which a group of farmers join together to carry on some or all the process involved in bringing goods to the consumer.”
Humanizing the Economy with John Restakis, 5.31.12NFCACoops
John Restakis, executive director of the British Columbia Co-op Association and author of “Humanizing the Economy: Co-operatives in the Age of Capital,” asserts that it is the disconnection between conventional economics and social ends that lies at the heart of our economic crisis, and that co-operatives offer a powerful economic model to reconnect and relate social goals with economic practice.
Farmer Co-ops For Efficient Production & MarketingNFCACoops
This presentation by Erbin Crowell, Executive Director, Neighboring Food Co-op Association and Roger Noonan, President, New England Farmers Union, covers how co-operatives benefit their member-owners, farmers, consumers, and the food system. Learn how your operation could benefit by being part of a producer/marketing co-operative, and discover the steps involved in setting one up.
A collection of maps displaying data from "Monitoring the Scope and Benefits of Fairtrade," a report that details the benefits and impact of Fairtrade. For more studies, visit http://www.fairtrade.net/impact-and-research.html.
This is my final project for the course "Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains - WDR 2020" on which I have reflected some lessons learned regarding the importance of GVCs. My main aim at this project is to show how agricultural value chains have positive welfare effects referring to the Community Trade Programme of The Body Shop.
A presentation sharing why Fair Trade is important and how institutions and organizations can incorporate Fair Trade products into their procurement plans.
Co-operative Enterprise & Sustainability: Why Go Co-op?NFCACoops
Why go co-op? How do co-ops strengthen our regional food system and economy? Co-ops are an effective model for business succession, retaining jobs, and rooting businesses in communities. Learn about the process of start-up, conversion and operation, and share your ideas for a co-op in your community.
Presenters: Adam Trott, Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives and Erbin Crowell, Neighboring Food Co-op Association.
2. Fairtrade and Cooperatives
A cooperative is ‘an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to
meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations
through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.’ (Int’l
Cooperative Alliance)
Fair Trade is, fundamentally, a response to the failure of conventional trade
to deliver sustainable livelihoods and development opportunities to people in
the poorest countries of the world; this is evidenced by the two billion of our
fellow citizens who, despite working extremely hard, survive on less than $2
per day. (Fairtrade Charter).
"Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that it is
possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility. "
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – Int’l Year of Cooperatives
Fair Trade and Cooperatives are not synonymous, but overlap in common
objectives of both economic and social objectives.
3. Fair Trade Core Principles
• Market access for marginalised producers
• Sustainable and equitable trading relationships
• Capacity building & empowerment
• Consumer awareness raising & advocacy
• Decent Working Conditions as defined in ILO Conventions
• Environmental sustainability
• Monitoring and evaluation of impact
4. Fairtrade, Cooperatives and Inclusive
Business
Fairtrade is mostly associated with small farmers who receive a guaranteed
price for their product. A sustainable business relationship gives them access
to markets and allows them to invest in their production and maintain a
decent standard of living. A social premium adds to the social development of
their communities.
In some commodities, small farmers are dominant, such as coffee and cocoa.
70% of coffee production is produced by small farmers. 90 % of the world
cocoa production is produced by farmers working 25 ha or less. Cooperatives
help to defend the common interests of these small farmers and market their
product jointly. They have a better bargaining position versus traders and
corporate buyers. Fair trade strengthens their organizations, and helps them
to invest in increasing productivity and professionalism.
5. Cooperatives in Fresh Fruit Business
Bananas and fresh fruit are mainly produced in plantations, a small part is
produced by small farmers. The Fairtrade concept was extended to
plantations, so that farm workers can enjoy better wages and labour
conditions. So a Fairtrade banana is not necessarily a cooperative or small
farmer banana.
Fresh fruit producer cooperatives, such as Fairtrade certified cooperatives in
Peru and Ecuador, face challenges. Corporate social responsibility policies of
retailers favour “inclusive business” and small farmers, but the practice is
more difficult: assuring uniform quality, food safety management systems
(GlobalGAP) and low cost price (productivity) give large plantations with
strong central management an advantage.
Leaders of fresh fruit cooperatives face the challenge to professionalise their
organizations, providing incentives to their members towards quality,
uniformity and cost efficiency.
6. Social Benefits of Fair Trade Coops
Fair Trade cooperatives realize important economic and social benefits for
their members. Thanks to the Fairtrade social premium, they can build village
clinics, schools, pharmacies, and give bursaries to students.
Increasingly, farmer cooperatives invest the Fairtrade premium in
imrpovements of their farms and packing stations. In this way they increase
their competitiveness, quality and reliability, allowing them to operate
effectively in demanding international supply chains.
The minimum garantueed price for sustainable production helps likewise to
promote a long-term vision on investment and sustainability.
7. References
J.W.H. van der Waal (2010); Exporting Bananas for Improved
Livelihoods and Social Development: Experiences and Challenges
from Latin America Acta Horticulturae 879, December, 2010.
J.W.H. van der Waal & A. Zongo (2011); Developing a Fresh
Mango Value Chain with West-African Smallholder Mango
Growers to Improve Rural Livelihoods. Acta Horticulturae 895,
May 13, 2011
J.W.H van der Waal & R. Moss (2011); Just Green Bananas:
Towards Full Sustainability of the Export Banana Trade. Paper
presented at ISHS/ProMusa International Symposium, Salvador,
Brazil, October 12, 2011. Forthcoming in Acta Horticulturae.