To have fair trade explained to us, we interviewed Paolo
Pastore, Director of the Fairtrade Consortium, the Italian body that
certifies fair trade products.

Let's start from the beginning — what is fair trade?
It's a new form of economy, an
alternative economy that aims to pay a fair price for produce in the
producing countries, whether that means cocoa, coffee,
bananas, pineapples and so on. Those who practise fair trade pay
producers at source a higher price, which allows them a
decent standard of living.

You've dedicated a week to fair trade —
where is it taking place and what is there to
see?
This week, now in its third edition, involves a series of initiatives across Italy.
It will kick off in Milan and Rome with a series of
cultural events linked to Feltrinelli bookshops and the LifeGate
Cafè in Milan. Consumers can find Fairtrade-certified products in around 3,000
points of sale within organised retail and in some world shops. What we
are particularly asking people to do during this week is to make a
conscious consumer choice: go to your trusted local shop
or supermarket, check whether fair trade products are available
and buy them. Because buying them contributes to human,
sustainable development that is better for the whole
world.

When we talk about the Global South, alongside exploitation there is often talk of the indiscriminate use of pesticides
on plantations — the very same pesticides that are banned in Europe
because of the dangers they pose. Do the crops intended for
fair trade also address this
aspect?
The crops that supply products for fair
trade are grown using at least integrated pest management, meaning limited or no use of pesticides, and with a
low environmental impact. Indeed, where possible — and in
numerous countries it is possible — crops are grown using
organic methods, free of pesticides, under the supervision of
specialists. These products, in addition to their social qualities, meet all the
organoleptic standards required for a healthy, balanced diet
with a low environmental impact.

Can you give us some examples of excellence — of
production that has genuinely made a concrete difference to
a community?
The Appta cooperative in Peru
used to sell its cocoa and sugar on the conventional market,
earning infinitesimal returns. Consider that, compared to
the price we pay here in Europe, this cooperative was receiving
around 4–5% of the value ultimately realised by those selling to
the end market. Thanks to fair trade and cooperation with Conapi, a cooperative based in Bologna, they have been able
to sell coffee, cocoa and sugar at a fair price. Now around
85% of their production is sold through fair trade channels, and as a result they have been able
to build a drinking water network for the entire area
in which the cooperative is based and to launch educational programmes for the
children of the cooperative's members.
For us, this is a success story of fair trade.

By
Paola Magni and Claudio
Vigolo