The three-day Fair Trade Cities and Towns Conference wrapped up on Sunday at the Nederburg Wine Estate outside Paarl.
This was the first time this conference was presented on the African continent. Drakenstein Municipality was selected to be the host location in 2023 after it had declared itself as a Fair Trade City three years earlier.
This partnership among the National Government, local government and the private sector provided a platform to host an international delegation representing countries from around the world, centred on the theme of “Cultivating Equitable Economies”.
Welcoming delegates to the conference, Stephen Korabie, Mayor of Drakenstein, said: “Fair trade has the power to transform lives, communities and economies. Obtaining Fair Trade City status has been a significant milestone in Drakenstein Municipality’s growth and development. It marks our commitment to promoting fair trade practices and supporting local producers in Drakenstein and ensuring that our community benefits from equitable trade relationships.”
Markus Ochsenkühn, Mayor of Neumarkt in Germany, also addressed the event. Expressing his support for the ongoing partnership between Neumarkt and Drakenstein, he stressed the importance of municipal-level action in driving global sustainability and fairness, stating, “Fair Trade is proof that it can work well by ensuring producers receive a higher, fairer price for their products.”
He further explained that Fair Trade not only provides better prices for producers but also invests in social infrastructure, benefiting local communities.
“Fair Trade aims to change unfair trading conditions by offering an alternative and through educational work,” he told delegates, encouraging cities around the world to embrace these principles for a more equitable future.
Several important discussions were held over the three days, including one panel that focused on how sustainability movements can contribute to African economies. One of the speakers on this panel was Hisham El Gazzar, an entrepreneur who built Yadawee, a Fair Trade business in Egypt that specialises in handcrafted products.
“There are restrictions within the craft industry, and artisans are expected to do too much – design, exporting, logistics, all of it,” he said. “They need support to run their businesses.
“It is not easy working with artisans, but it presents an opportunity. Fair Trade opens doors to new markets and helps create a demand for sustainable products internationally.”
Member of Parliament Noko Masipa explained that the biggest challenges in SA were market readiness and the risk associated with farming. She sits on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development. “Last year agriculture faced natural disasters costing R4 billion. The sector needs disaster insurance and we need commercial banks to come on board.”
Participation in Fair Trade Cities and Towns initiatives empowers communities and supports sustainable development by ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions for producers in developing countries.
