Completed project
Social Economy and Fair Trade
July 2009 to March 2014
CIDA via the Uniterra program
Funder
18,000 beneficiaries (groups, producer associations in rural Guatemala)
and 112 textile producers and craftsmen’s organizations in Bolivia
In Guatemala Comisión Interinstitucional de Comercio Justo y Solidario Casa de Cervantes Aj Quen Tikonel Kiej de los Bosques Asociación para el Desarrollo Comunitario de Huehuetenango (ASDECOHUE)
Ak'Tenamit Guatemalan Exporters’ Association (AGEXPORT) Grupo Ceiba Unión Nacional de Mujeres Guatemaltecas (UNAMG) In Bolivia Mouvement de l'économie solidaire et du commerce équitable, Bolivia (MESyCJ) Red de Organizaciones Económicas de Productores con Identidad Cultural (OEPAIC) Comité Textil Boliviano (COTEXBO)
Skills and Volunteers for Greater Solidarity in Business
In Bolivia and Guatemala, many small artisans and producers possess unique skills that unfortunately do not always enable them to escape poverty. In both of these Latin American countries – which are economically, culturally and socially comparable, marketing agricultural and artisanal products remains a critical issue for rural populations, who need better access to national and international markets in order to obtain a fair price for their goods. Through the volunteer cooperation program Uniterra, CECI supports exchanges and skill-building activities for small producers’ organizations in efforts to secure them more equitable revenues and better living conditions.
A number of measures have therefore been implemented to improve the various stages in the value chain. Volunteer missions have been established to develop management systems for small- and medium-sized fair trade organizations, and/or to support them in their marketing and communication activities so as to add value to their products and services, at home and abroad.
In both countries, fair trade expos also nurture commercial development of rural artisanal products and small producers. CECI supports the organization of events like these, which are dedicated to improving the visibility of fair trade businesses and marketing their products. In Bolivia, the “IntegrArte” fair has been organized every year for the last five years and grows with each successive edition, counting 14,000 participants in 2010. In Guatemala, CECI also supported the organization of the first national fair trade expo. By showcasing over 40 of the country’s organizations, it enabled producers to develop their clientele and access new markets for their quality products.
Such testimony clearly illustrates the relevance of CECI’s strategy of supporting organizations through the Uniterra volunteer program. With the development of local partnerships and mobilization of skilled volunteers, we are committed to effective reduction of poverty by encouraging business exchanges that are more just, more respectful and reflect more solidarity.