The Équité (‘equality‘) Program is carried out jointly by Plate-Forme du Commerce Equitable, Fairtrade Africa – West African Network and AVSF, and is funded by AFD and FFEM. It covers six countries in West Africa: Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Togo and Senegal.
The goal is to encourage fair-trade organizations—certified farmers’ organizations, networks of certified organizations and structures that support farmers’ organizations—to work with NGOs that have expertise in environmental protection. This is mainly in the cacao, shea, fruit, cashew, local-crafts, fonio, sesame and moringa supply chains.
In addition to promoting sustainable economic development in West African countries, this project helps reduce poverty, strengthen family farming and support the development of sustainable fair-trade supply chains.
The program has four specific objectives:
1. Help structure farmers’ organizations in the South and coordinate the supply chains in which they operate by developing fair trade;
2. Test the development potential of South–South fair-trade supply chains;
3. Strengthen the role of farmers’ organizations in the governance of international fair-trade labels;
4. Improve the visibility of fair trade as a tool for sustainable development and, in particular, for preserving biodiversity.
To learn more about the project: www.programme-equite.org
As part of the Équité Program, AVSF and its partners went to Ivory Coast for a WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING cacaO SUPPLY CHAINS in the South from 20 to 22 November, and for a CONFERENCE ON FAIR-TRADE CACAO from 23 to 24 November.
