Fair trade activists' Arusha meeting addresses unfair deals
in Africa
By Arusha Times Reporter
OVER 50 fair trade activists have been converging in Arusha for three days, in
the course of this week to deliberate on Fair Trade and Justice policies
governing the business operations in the world.
The African Regional Representative to the International Fair Trade Association,
(IFTA) Semshak Gompil, said the objective of the Arusha meeting was to devise
mechanism that would influence existing global trade policies, which, he said,
were impoverishing marginalised producers in rural areas.
Gompil said, though a lot of aid was being pumped to Africa, the level of
development in the continent remains low, attributing the problem to lack of
direct interaction between producers and their market.
"We don't need the developed countries' handouts, charity or sympathy, Africans
want a fair chance to compete!" he said, adding that home governments too were
to blame for signing agreements that reinforces unfair trade.
A homegrown development approach was required for grappling with poverty facing
the continent, he said, stressing that it was high time producers themselves
entered into agreements with buyers instead of governments.
"Local Sculptors and carvers, for instance, are good at creating wealth, but
they sell their products at throw away prices, while traders reap lion's shares
from the same carvings." he exemplified, adding that the unfair trade practices
also extended to agricultural produce, among others.
"The report from the commission for Africa, which was formed by British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, touched some issues regarding unfair trade on the
continent," he said, "but the input of the report ought to be complimented by
the activists in collaboration with their UK counterparts, who had vowed to
submit this meeting deliberations to forthcoming European Union and G8
meetings."
IFAT is a global institutional body, voice and hub of the international fair
trade movement, which supports, advocates for and promotes regional fair trade
activities of its members, with a view to influence international policy makers,
stakeholders and bodies in a bid to gain positive political interest and public
support for the fair trade process.
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