Today Ramziya Asanalishoeva and Ann Matson in the Oxfam campaigns team in Brisbane chats to QFTC about workers rights, and how you can draw a cartoon to stop global warming.
Oxfam has been working for some time now on trade justice and the difference that Fair Trade can make. Tell us a little about it.
Trade can be a powerful engine for reducing poverty. Oxfam Australia campaigns to raise awareness among governments, corporations and people everywhere about unfair trade rules that prevent communities to plan for the future, gain skills and knowledge and walk the path to sustainable development and livelihoods. In order for fair trade to become more mainstream we're pressing decision-makers and governments for new trade rules – fair rules to make a real and positive difference in the fight against poverty.
Supporters of Oxfam's Fairtrade coffee campaign have contributed to an increase in sales: Fairtrade coffee sales in Australia reached an estimated $14 million in 2007-2008, an increase of 75% on the previous year. Our campaign for workers' rights in the sportswear industry achieved major wins in 2008. Adidas released its global list of supplier factories after thousands of Australians sent letters and lobbied the company for greater transparency. Adidas was also bombarded with more than 3000 messages to support workers from closed Adidas supplier factories to gain rights to compensation and alternative employment. To date, 900 workers have been re-employed.
And thanks to the voices and actions of supporters we are keeping up the call to:
- Stop the United States and European Union dumping subsidised farm products in the developing world that ruin the livelihoods of local farmers
- Stop rich countries from forcing developing countries to prematurely open their economies to agricultural imports
- Improve the price paid to small farmers for their coffee as part of our Fairtrade coffee campaign.
- Make sure that trade agreements between rich countries such as ours and poorer countries do not undermine the lives and livelihoods of poor people
- Make sure that companies and governments respect workers' rights in the developing world.
Can you describe for us the working environment of people in developing countries affected by unfair trade rules?
Workers in developing countries are facing tough challenges in their everyday lives. They're paid minimal wages and are often forced to work long hours in harsh – often dangerous – conditions.
For example most of the world's coffee beans are produced by small-scale farmers in developing countries. They have little bargaining power in an industry dominated by a few large and powerful international coffee companies, so they're forced to put up with low and unstable prices for their beans, affecting their ability to pay for enough food and education for their families (read more about it here).
You can also hear directly from factory workers themselves in these insightful blogs about their lives as garment and footwear production workers: Adidas, stop wearing us out & Behind the seams
And on a regional level – click this link to find out more about how unfair trade rules are threatening our Pacific neighbours.
If you had a friend who never bought fair trade products, what one reason would you give them to encourage them to consider fair trade?
I'd shout them a cup of Fairtrade coffee or tea and a bar of Fairtrade chocolate and ask them to have a read over some of the amazing stories and blogs we've collected from coffee farmers and factory workers about the difference it's made to their families' lives to see the results of growing numbers of people around the world tuning into fairer trade
By the time they've savoured both the taste of their morning cuppa and seen the difference they can make by joining the fair trade movement I'm sure they'll be won over.
So what will we see from Oxfam campaigns at the Fairtrade Christmas Markets on December 4 and 5?
We're planning some great ways for people to catch up on the latest information, give feedback, share ideas – and pick up some bargains with our supplies of Climate and Fair Trade tshirts.
But not only that – we know shoppers at the market care enough to buy products – but also want to know more about the stories of the people they're supporting and what other ways they can.
So keep an eye out for our Fair Trade / Fair Climate Multimedia 'action hub' at the markets – a chance to watch short video clips, read and comment on blogs (such as on www.aclimateforchange.org, sign online petitions – in short – to have your say about the importance of Fair Trade and why you support it.
It's also an important weekend in the latest round of UN climate talks – so again – we'll have videos, an excellent photo exhibition portraying the impacts of climate change on the Pacific (but also how we can stand and support the strong climate action that many of our Pacific neighbours are taking to overcome or adapt to climate change). Plus our action hub will feature a great initiative called "World Comics" for market patrons to sit down with a Fairtrade cuppa once they've done their shopping and try their hand at cartooning for a fairer climate. We hope that sounds intriguing … see you there and remember to come and ask us all about it.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, and we look forward to seeing you at the Fair Trade Christmas Markets
Our products are sourced from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda where small communities of subsistence farmers make the products by hand. By forming small groups in the local villages and slum areas we are directly involved, and make sure that all artisans are paid before the products are shipped out. Through this we aim to help in securing a more financial future for the talented individuals who live in villages, where inflation is the highest and makes it difficult for many people to foresee a positive future.
