In regions where existing ecosystems suffer from human pressure, tourism can provide part of the solution.
Inspired by successful experiences elsewhere in the world, the Honeyguide Foundation, with the financial assistance of the Trade for Development Centre, supports the development of sustainable tourism in the north of Tanzania. The Maasai population is given an extra financial incentive to protect its natural environment.
Burundi, a small Central African country, is one of the poorest countries in the world. The coffee sector is a major economic player since it generates more than half of Burundi’s export revenues. It is also the main source of revenue for almost 750,000 families. The privatisation made coffee growers join forces in cooperatives and build their own washing stations.
The TDC supports the Consortium of Coffee Growers Cooperatives COCOCA and two of iets members to allow producers to obtain a larger share of the added value.
To make global food production more sustainable, more and more scientists advocate organic agriculture. Trade for Development Centre (TDC) grants financial support to some ten projects that have made this choice.
Beekeepers and weavers in Tanzania, coffee growers and the craft women in Uganda: they all share their motivation and pride about the products they make. But they hardly know which consumers are willing to pay a fair price for their products.
The TDC supports the Tighanimine women’s cooperative which has produced fair trade argan oil in South Morocco since 2010. There is huge demand for this oil, not only as a miraculous ingredient for cosmetics, but also as a flavour for cooking. The TDC sent a reporter to Morocco to take a look behind the scenes of the production process and the lives of the workers, all of which are Berber women.
The name was chosen long before the arrival of the famous cartoon with the little bee. And for good reason: Maya honey, which refers to a great pre-Columbian civilisation, was one of the first fair trade products imported as such into Belgium.
Freja Food was established in 2000. Now, the company produces more than 20 kinds of biscuits and sells them in more than 300 Belgian wholefood stores. With its traditional cookies, wafers and cakes, Freja Food brings together ingredients from farmers from the North and farmers from the South.
Few countries in the world match Ecuador’s natural beauty and cultural richness. With its coast, its sierra, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador is home to four ecosystems and a rich biodiversity. One quarter of the population is indigenous and still cherishes age-old traditions. The ‘indígenas’ growing self-awareness makes Ecuador a pioneer in developing community-based tourism.
The production of one single golden ring generates 20 tonnes of highly toxic waste and requires 50,000 litres of water. These numbers are impressive. Also, mining companies are seldom champions in respecting the local populations. The sector tries to redeem its negative image with standards and codes while NGOs work with cooperatives of artisanal miners towards producing fair trade gold
The first fair trade jewels were sold in 2011, but there are still many obstacles to overcome before miners will actually enjoy a better – golden? – future.
With a turnover of 500 billion dollars and 250 million employees, tourism is one of the main economic activities globally. However, revenue from the tourist business is often distributed unfairly and the environment is under pressure because of tourism. Does ‘sustainable tourism’ offer an alternative? And how can the triple P of sustainable development (people, planet, profit) be reconciled with the P of pleasure?
