Context
Since a few years, fair trade has known a remarkable evolution. On the one hand, the volume of fair trade's sales has considerably increased. This increase is associated with a stronger requirement of the consumers concerning the origin of the products. On the other hand, fair trade becomes increasingly important on the media scene and tends today to assert its membership in the 'sustainable development' movement. This membership implies the use of better social, economic and environmental practices. Consequently, the actors of fair trade are searching for rigorous and complete information answering the consumers’ questions and improving certification of the best practices implemented within the framework of sustainable development.
Fair trade was mainly conceptualized and set up by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Unfortunately, these organizations do not have the means to develop by themselves concerted strategies in research and technology Development. One of the originalities of the GEO FAIR TRADE project lies precisely in the collaboration between Fair Trade actors and Research and Technological Development partners.
Objectives
The main objective of GEO FAIR TRADE is to gather all the fair trade operators in a research project aiming to setting-up a Geo-Traceability Integrated System (GTIS) to ensure the credibility of the supply chain and to validate the Fair Trade good and sustainable practices.Description of tasks
1) Fair Trade Geo-Sustainable Development Indicators and Data acquisition
One of the first tasks of the project is to provide a set of sustainable development indicators, including a spatial component and reflecting the three dimensions of Fair Trade (social, economic and environmental. Geo-indicators of traceability used in previous projects (GEOTRACEAGRI, GTIS-CAP) to characterize the agricultural productions will be adapted in order to take into account socio-economic and environmental Fair trade realities. At the same time, available (mainly geographical) data will be identified and acquired.
2) Integrated Information System for GEO FAIR TRADE
This task will consist in adapting the Integrated Information System concept (developed in the frame of the GEOTRACEAGRI and GTIS-CAP research projects) to the Fair Trade sector. This tool will allow the visualization and the search for all relevant information corresponding to the needs of Fair Trade actors. The Integrated Information System will enable access to existing multidisciplinary data, services, and systems from many sources, hence taking advantage of existing data to achieve multiple goals historically managed by separate agencies, offices, or programs. Generally, this decision support system will have to be able to answer the multiple questions from users coming from distinct organizations.
3) Proof of Concept
This task will be to validate the approach with five case studies which will be chosen by the Civil Society Organizations. More exactly; the main objective of this work package is to evaluate and test the tools and indicators developed in the previous work packages.
4) Dissemination
The last task will consist in developing a tool kit mainly intended for CSOs and for public institutions likely to integrate Fair Trade commodities in their purchasing policy. The dissemination will be mainly carried out through a dedicated website describing project's objectives, obtained results and carried out case studies.
Expected results
A reference framework built on geo-indicators of sustainable development which can be used in all traceability systems already implemented in Fair trade.
Tools allowing to visualize the origin of the products, like their track. These tools will allow to measure the impact of Fair Trade on sustainable development thanks to the calculation of indicators.
A permanent communication between OSC and Research and Technological Development partners to validate the results and / or to reorient the research and development activities in the field of the fair trade traceability.
Contribution
CRA-W is responsible for 2 work packages :
WP2 : Fair Trade Geo-Sustainable Development Indicators
WP3 : Integrated Information System for GEO FAIR TRADE
Partners
The GEO FAIR TRADE project is coordinated by 'la Chambre de Commerce et d’ Industrie du Gers en France'. The consortium includes 12 partners (research centres, society civil organizations, universities and one private society) coming from 6 European countries.
The scientific partners (CRAW, CIRAD, CCI Gers) are experts in agro-environmental indicators development, in geomatics applied to agriculture, in the implementation of traceability procedures as well as in databases management and geographic information systems.
The Fair Trade organizations are represented by federations coordinating and ensuring the promotion of the movement (IFAT, PFCE, MH, CECJ, PAKKA, EQUI' GROUND). An organization responsible for the certification of organic farming products (ECOCERT) takes also part in the project.
These organizations take part in the project in order to validate the results and to reorient the research and development activities. A private company (SIRS) specialised in remote sensing will acquire and will make available geospatial data bases.
Wageningen univeristy (WUR) will take part in the validation and the dissemination of the project results.
Funding
- CE - DG Research - FP7
