Fair Trade

Fair Trade is an ethical and alternative approach to conventional trade. It is an equitable and fair partnership between traders, producers and consumers, promoted by associations and non-governmental organizations that are committed to social justice. In order to help all countries to develop and to improve marginalized people’s quality of life, people need opportunities to have access to and participate in international trade/markets on an equal and fair basis.

Thus, the Fair Trade approach can be part of the strategy for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development, and includes principles of Transparency and Accountability, payment of a Fair Price, Gender Equality and Empowerment, Safe and Healthy Working Conditions, Building long-term trade relationships, Environmental Sustainability, fight against the Child Labour.

In Egypt there are many poor aereas where the quality of life is very low. Many handicraft and agro producers do not have access to local and international market and they are extremely marginalized. They usually live in poor environmental and working conditions and they do not have neither skills nor tools to face this situation successfully. By applying the fair trade principals, these producers and their families can be empowered and their awareness can grow in an independent manner.

COSPE is promoting Fair Trade in Egypt . This means to empower marginalized producers, to improve their working conditions, the quality of their work and production, to preserve their cultural heritage, traditional handicraft, and safe and organic agro products; to give them access to different markets, to foster their socio-economic development. In this contest one of the main objective is to link agro and crafts producers from marginalized communities to national and international fair markets.