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By RITCHE T. SALGADO
(Bulatlat.com)

CEBU CITY — Three thousand households from urban poor and rural communities are expected to benefit from the re-conceptualization of the only fair trade shop in Cebu.

The People’s Fair Trade Shop along Osmeña Blvd. in Cebu City had gone a major facelift and along with it, Southern Partners and Fair Trade Corporation (SPFTC), the shop’s operator, hopes to increase awareness on fair trade and instill responsible consumerism among the locals. Last August 8, the shop was re-launched as The Fair Trade Shop Philippines, and is the first of the eight re-conceptualized shops which the Advocates of Philippine Fair Trade, Inc. (APFTI) plans to open all over the country.

“By opening The Fair Trade Shop, we are sending a message to all consumers that they can make a difference,” said Gabby Lopez, chairman of APFTI’s board.

“This exciting launch of The Fair Trade Shop brings much needed positive change for producers who need fair trading practices now more than ever,” added Geraldine Labradores, general manager of SPFTC. “The public has increasingly been telling us that they want to lead a sustainable lifestyle and this is a big step along the path towards health and wellness, and eco-living.”

The shop now boasts of better lighting, bigger floor space, coordinated displays, and a more inviting atmosphere that would highlight the different products on display. With this, Labradores hopes to increase foot traffic into the shop, giving producers bigger access to the market.

Labradores explains that the re-conceptualization of the shop is part of the network’s plan to strengthen the fair trade movement in Cebu through its local network, the Cebu Fair Trade Network.

“Some groups who saw the shop expressed their interest to also display their products, but we have standards to follow,” said Labradores.

Ester Gamboa, advocacy officer of APFTI said that products displayed in the shop is tantamount to being labeled as a fair trade product that is why producers who wish to display must follow the principles espoused by fair trade globally. The principles include providing fair wages, fair prices, transparency and accountability, care for the environment, capacity building, gender equity, creation of opportunities to the marginalized sector, no child labor, safe working condition, and promotion of fair trading.

Gamboa said the products to be displayed in the shop need not have the fair trade label, adding that to have a product labeled as fair trade would be costly for the producer.

At present, the shop sells products from 24 producers following internationally-recognized fair trade principles, 18 of which are from Cebu. Gamboa said that sales from the products of the 24 producers would benefit more than 3,000 households from urban poor and rural communities.

“Part of our advocacy is to build an enlightened consumer base that will patronize (fair trade) products so that most of the income would trickle down to the communities,” said Vicente Roaring, president and executive director of APFTI.

“Before our direction was to make products that will be patronized by consumers in other countries,” he said. “But now, we have to build a local consumer base that will patronize our products,” he added.

“Our problem before is that we could not really direct the buyers where to source fairly traded products. We are adapting the pattern being used in Europe where you can see Fair Trade shops or ‘worldshops’ everywhere,” he revealed.

Other fair trade shops carrying the same look is set to open in Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, Iloilo City, Baguio City, Manila, Naga and Boracay. The shops will be carrying seven core products including the dried mangoes produced by SPFTC, as well as products produced by local cooperatives, people’s organizations, and individual businesses willing to subscribe to fair trade principles.

As of 2008, the global fair trade movement reached a total estimated sales of US$5-billion, with an average growth of 42 percent in the last two years.