Beyond Charity:

Transforming Business,

Ending Poverty

David Pain Director, Supporter and Community Partnerships Department.

Christian Aid

‘Poverty’- what do you see?

Hold in your mind an image, perhaps a person you have met, a place you have been-

near to home, or far away. An image from TV or other media; a specific story, or an

overall impression.

What do you see? What do you feel and think? What is your response? Where do you

see yourself in relation to this reality?

The images that come to mind for me are mainly from Africa, for 6 years I led Christian

Aid’s programme across that continent. IN Africa we work with and through 400 local

organisations across 20 countries with people of all faiths and none, it was my privilege

to spend time in each of those countries. In the last 3 years, I have moved within

Christian Aid and now lead our UK facing work. During that time I have also made

short visits to the programme in S Asia which I will draw on.

As we think about those images of poverty, I want to raise this evening the central

question:

Who is it that is bringing about transformational change in the lives of people living in

poverty? What part could business play in transforming poverty?

The simple fact that you and I can bring to mind images of extreme poverty in the midst

of a world of great wealth is a scandal.

For people to be going to bed tonight hungry, for a child to be dying for lack of medical

care, for women and men to be living in fear of their lives and livelihoods through the

impact of conflict or natural disaster, is a preventable scandal.

Poverty is often about big numbers, I’d like to focus this evening on individuals, and

specific communities as a way into connecting their story with our own, the micro

realities of human life with the macro issues of change

I met Maya in November in the village of Bharpatia in Uttar Pradesh in the north of India. She is

10, the same age as my own daughter, and in her last year at primary school. Maya told me that

she wants to become a teacher.

As a dalit (or ‘untouchable’), Maya and her family are among the 400 million people in India who

are living in poverty, despite the booming Indian economy. She lives in a small hamlet on the

side of a village; her family and their dalit neighbours are not allowed to own land in this

agricultural state.

Maya’s mother told me how this dalit community had saved money to contribute to the building

of a new temple in the village, only to be refused admission as ‘unclean’ people once it was

opened. One dalit woman had had found her way in, she was beaten and the whole building

washed. For dalits and other socially excluded people in India daily life is one of hand to mouth

existence and grinding poverty.

It’s remarkable that Maya has been in primary school- she is the first generation of her family to

get that opportunity. This is thanks to Christian Aid partner SKEVS, which has been working in

this village for 2 years– one of 15 000 villages we are working in India with the support of

DFID- raising the voice of the dalit community, overcoming the hurdles of social exclusion at the

root of poverty. In this village that has meant dalit women raising their voices and lobbying the

local government to open a school here.

While Maya has been able to go to a primary school- even with only one teacher for 100 pupils,

she is unlikely to be able to go to secondary school and fulfil her ambition to become a teacher.

As a young dalit woman it would not be safe for her to walk the 10kms to the nearest one, and

once there she would be treated as an outcast by teachers and pupils alike.

Trapped in poverty, Maya is typical of a growing trend of people living in poverty in the midst of

growing wealth. We live in a world marked by increasing inequality.

Most people who are poor in the world are living in so-called middle income countries, they are

excluded on grounds of their identity, gender, race or caste; they are made poor because they

are trapped in a cycle where they lack education, healthcare and access to decent employment.

They are trapped because they live on the margins of the land or economy- vulnerable to crises

which impact on their livelihoods, lacking resilience to cope with shocks to their income.

At the root of all of these issues is power and how it is used to enable, or to exclude.

Throughout my experience of living and working in poor communities over the last 30 years

my overwhelming impression is of people who live in poverty taking action.

People seeking to take the power they have to bring about change; to raise their voices and

influence others with power to act in their interests. This is the ‘DNA ‘of sustainable change.

When it comes to tackling poverty, it is people who live in poverty who are the forefront of

actively bringing about change. Women and men organising themselves, often facilitated by

local civil society organisations; establishing small businesses; raising their voices to gain

access to education and to decisions that will impact on their lives.

What needs to change to enable this action and enterprise to lead to the ending of poverty?

As you might expect the answer is large and complex, and varies in each context. But this

evening, in the context of Fair trade fortnight, I would like to focus on the transforming role of

business as ONE of the contributing factors to shifting in the balance of power, contributing to

changing the systems which perpetuate poverty.

Holding onto those images- holding the image of Maya

What part do and can businesses large and small play in bringing about sustainable change

towards the ending of the scandal of poverty?

How can we act through our various influences on businesses- as employers, employees,

consumers, investors, in solidarity with people living in poverty to bring about an end to

poverty?

A little over 20 years ago I was a volunteer campaigner with Christian Aid as a

postgrad student in Guildford. We met local community and church groups to

work with them on launching the ‘Fair trade mark’.

Since the 1970s alternative trading organisations had been offering a range of

products whose sale would benefit people living in poverty- Oxfam shops carried

a range of goods and many churches across Britain ran Traidcraft stalls.

At Durham University as a student I ran the ‘Third World’ Shop- we championed

the message that it was ‘trade not aid’ that was needed to end poverty. Over

the last 20 years Fair trade has gone from a stall at the back of your local

church, or a shelf in your Oxfam shop, to a mainstream consumer choice.

When the mark was launched, there were 3 products carrying it, now there are

over 4000. In 2012 the market in certified fair trade goods was worth over £1.6

billion.

The certifying body, the Fairtrade Foundation, founded by Christian Aid, Oxfam,

WDM and others, has gone from strength to strength, engaging with global

businesses to bring about change which benefits producers in poor

communities.

Fairtrade from the UK has a positive impact on the lives of the 1.3 million

farmers and workers now involved in 70 countries around the world.

What is really remarkable about these 20 years is that this change has been

achieved largely by word of mouth, by consumer action, by thousands of

individuals talking about their choices in their church and local community.

In a campaign by Christian Aid in the mid 1990s we took bags full of till receipts

to our local supermarkets, demanding that the shops stock fair-traded goods.

Towns and cities, churches and universities have registered as Fair Trade

zones.

This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Fairtrade

mark.

This has been a peoples movement for change in which the city

and university of Winchester has played its part- congratulations!

From the outset the basic principles of fair trade have been to

change the way trade works for poor and marginalised people,

shifting the balance of power so that small-scale producers can

find a market and fair prices for their products, feed their families

and communities, and trade their own way out of poverty.

The Fair trade certificate guarantees to consumers and

producers that a fair price is being paid.

A premium is also added to enable communities to invest in

assets that will enable a lasting change; in 2012 the FT premium

delivered £23 million in value to producers’ communities for

better education, healthcare, infrastructure.

The movement for Fairtrade has been the groundswell for lobbies and

campaigns for other important changes in global trade.

In the 1990s British supermarkets led the way through a partnership with Christian

Aid and the other major international development charities called the ‘Ethical

Trading Initiative’.

ETI has enabled the supermarkets to step up their own brand commitments to

ethical trade- for example Christian Aid worked with Sainsbury’s to support them in

making decisions that would bring about change in the lives of workers in the

vineyards of South Africa.

We have challenged the so-called ‘Washington Consensus’- the belief that by

liberalising trade and opening up countries to so-called free trade, somehow all

would benefit.

The power of rich countries to require such changes, often as a condition for aid

and debt relief was a central tenet of western government and institutions

approach to development through the 1980s/90s, seen most clearly in the World

Bank/IMF programme for structural adjustment. In recent years leaders in the

World Bank have recognised the negative impact these structural adjustment

programmes had on the lives of people living in poverty. As we work together to

change the systems of trade, poor countries must have the right to protect and

support their vulnerable farmers and industries.

We have campaigned on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) as part of

the Make Poverty History campaign, challenging the European community to come

up with trading agreements with African and Caribbean countries that enable

development.

There is still a long way to go and Fairtrade which is itself evolving, is only part of

the solution. While the Fair trade mark is a sign and symbol of how things can be

different, we need to think beyond this as a niche approach to a sustainable

alternative that brings about lasting change at a bigger scale.

As we look forward, much as we have driven the Fairtrade

movement through our consumer choices for the last 20 years;

My belief is that in the next 20 years we will see more and

more opportunities through personal investments, pension

funds etc to invest in businesses which are good news for

people living in poverty.

IN Christian Aid’s programme we are contributing to this growing

movement for change through playing our part in pioneering

what we are calling ‘pro-poor market development’.

PPMD means improving market access for people living in

poverty, it means enabling poor women and men to access

goods and services that make their livelihoods more resilient.

It means enabling poor women and men tackle the power

imbalances in markets that are keeping them poor.

For these businesses to be transformational, rather than just nice

one off projects, we are guided by some core principles.

Activities are always based on a holistic understanding of the

market.

We engage with as many market actors as possible – from

governments to small holder associations.

We are ambitious for holistic change. We want people to

thrive – the ending of poverty is not just economic, it’s also about

resilience, equality and dignity

I’d like to share with you a few examples of where Christian Aid

is directly involved in pro-poor market development, supporting

the development of social enterprises: businesses that look to

make a positive impact across a range of social and

environmental factors, beyond the financial return. These show

the change that is coming about in the lives of people living in

poverty through changes in business.

Some of them have grown out of the Fair Trade process, others

have the potential to be part of the supply chain of global

businesses.

They all involve a partnership between civil society organisation

that have deep roots and connections with people living in

poverty, often with a reach beyond the end of the road which

other businesses cannot access.

They have received financial support direct from Christian Aid

through the fundraising undertaken throughout the year by

individuals, churches and local groups across Britain and Ireland.

We are also increasingly able to leverage investments from

government donors- the Scottish government Inclusive Economic

Development programme, the American US AID and our DFID.

Example 1: SOPPEXCCA, Nicaragua.

SOPPEXCCA was formed in 1997 by 62 farmers and has grown

into a union of 18 cooperatives totalling 650 members (32%

women) producing over 825 tonnes of coffee per year. Located in

Jinotega in Northern Nicaragua.

Story of a company which has grown through the impact of the

Fairtrade movement, and is now moving beyond -

Christian Aid partner for over 10 years; these changes are long

term- not short term projects

Sales income from exports was US$5.8m in 2010/11. Soppexcca

supplies 9 international fair trade buyers as well as selling

conventional coffee.

SOPPEXCCA became fair trade certified in 1998 because

Fairtrade standards and principles complemented its own values

and was an opportunity to improve members’ lives and develop

the rural economy.

The FT premium they receive has enabled them to improve

education opportunities, support a positive youth movement and

provide loans for their farmer members.

They are also leaders in Nicaragua on women’s rights, a

fundamental issue in shifting power relationships for women

living in poverty – they have formed the country’s first

cooperative of women workers and are using it, in a sector

notorious for abuses, to demonstrate how women should be

treated in the workplace.

Pix Fatima Ismael, General Manager, SOPPEXCCA

Quote: “There are many unique characteristics about Fairtrade.

You will not find another coffee in the market which meets its

criteria of respecting the lives of the people who produce it. This

respect has to do with the minimum price and the social premium

which, in our case, has even saved lives because we have

implemented a programme for the prevention of cervical cancer,

and thanks to which 5,000 women from this region have been

screened. No other certification does that.’

Sustainable business cannot be developed in isolation of global

trends, they cannot stand still. Transformational businesses have

to attend to the system as a whole, including changes taking

place in the climate.

SOPPEXCCA has faced serious challenges with disease and

climate change: 30%-40% of coffee production has been affected

by la roya, a leaf rust fungal disease reaching epidemic

proportions in the region.

Christian Aid has supported SOPPEXCCA in exploring shifting

affected farmers from coffee to cocoa crops . This year CA has

helped them to secure a part loan/grant from the Inter-American

Development Bank of $1.5m to implement this shift at scale

Pix Fatima Ismael, General Manager, SOPPEXCCA

Kenya, Exploring Fair Trade Certification for local food

crops

Christian Aid has been working with VSO, Traidcraft, Practical

Action and others in countries like Ghana, Kenya, India and

South Africa to help producers to respond to the growing

domestic market for organic, fairly traded goods.

Christian Aid has been collaborating with Fair Trade Africa and

Practical Action to explore the potential of extending the Fair

Trade mark to local food crops in Kenya.

Example crops: Ground nuts (top), Sweet potato (middle), tree

tomato (bottom). PIX Also millet, passion fruit and chillies.

Developing a local fair trade market for these drought resistant

crops will have a direct benefit to small holder farmers who will

be able to secure greater sales, and a greater value for their

crops.

It will also help: to address shortages in national food markets (in

comparison to FT export crops), to increase resilience by

promoting drought resistant crops and to shift the balance of

gender power by focusing on crops traditionally produced by

women,

We are now exploring entering the second phase of this work (

for which we need funding) which will include addressing the

blockages we have identified that are preventing the markets

growing and benefitting small holder famers.

FT Africa will have an on-going role in both certification and

working with outlets to increase stock and sales of certified food

crops.

The outcome is not just a holistic understanding of the

sector. The process itself is a catalyst for change which is

driven by the market actors themselves, not an outside

agency.

For example as a result of this dialogue, a honey processor

might invest in better transportation to reduce damage to

crops and improve quality because they have a better

understanding of how quality affects price.

As an outcome of this exercise CA is now funding a

£500,000 programme to address the barriers to market

growth that were identified as particularly affecting honey

farmers. These include;

Supporting The Honey Council to be a more effective

marketing and governance and champion of the

honey sector

Trial the development of sustainable Honey “Hubs”-

a central point for honey collection, sales and

technical assistance - which increase incomes and

market access for honey farmers

Work with finance providers to develop finance

products suitable for honey farmers (none currently

exist) enabling access to improved equipment and

finance for expanding production

This honey programme will benefit over 10,000 honey

producer households

PMSD processes are being rolled out across over 10 CA

programmes ensuring our markets work is rooted in a

holistic understanding of the market

Kenya, Unlocking the potential of the honey

sector

For the very poorest farmers in Kenya, honey is one

of the very few assets they have to lift income beyond

subsistence crops.

Christian Aid and our partner The Kenyan Honey

Council have undertaken what we call ‘a participatory

market systems development’ (PMSD) process in

Kenya in order to bring together actors in the honey

market.

The process involves bringing together honey market

actors to identify the barriers to market growth and to

develop action plans to address these.

Christian Aid partners have played a key role in

equipping and empowering honey farmers to have the

confidence to participate in a process that takes them

beyond their comfort zone – engaging with

government officials, big business etc.

My final example of transformational businesses being run

by people living in poverty comes from: Sierra Leone

CA Sierra Leone has been working with fishing groups in

Bonthe District, Southern Sierra Leone, targeting fishing groups

in 10 communities to own improved fishing boats, outboard

engines and fishing gear for improved and sustainable

livelihoods.

The programme identified that a key barrier to fisher folk

securing a better value for their catch was the lack of cold

storage facilities.

Christian Aid has been working with local partners to establish

a solar powered community cold storage station which will

enable fisher folk to increase their incomes by enabling them to

store and stagger sales of fish, transport fish to new markets

and process fish into added value products.

In addition the direct benefits to their businesses the centre will

also facilitate the purchasing of solar lamps for household and

shop use, as well as providing cell phone charging. As fees are

paid for the centres activities it will be a profitable community

owned enterprise.

The community have proven they can run the enterprises

together after successfully managing a small scale phone

charging station. They were so confident of their ability to be

successful they have insisted on paying Christian Aid back a

proportion of their grant over time so the project can be

replicated elsewhere.

This was the project for the CA week advert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8KxVVODqlw

So, some great examples of business development

transforming the lives of people living in poverty. What

about the bigger picture on the transformational role of

business?

Most mornings you’ll find me on the platform at Winchester

station, joining the orderly queues for the 705 up to Waterloo-

we all know where to stand, the life of the commuter! I travel

up to London to the Christian Aid office which is just outside

Waterloo station.

As I look up and down the platform and through the carriage, I

wonder what decisions and actions all those people will be

involved in each day- which of us could have the most impact

on the scandal of poverty today? I doubt it is me or anyone else

working for an international development charity.

Of course, Christian Aid is making a practical difference across

40 countries enabling people to participate in bringing about

change in their lives; we are communicating the reality and

scandal of poverty; I have shown this evening some examples

of sustainable business development making a real difference

in the lives of people in poverty; we can add value by focusing

our work on the analysis of the causes of poverty and raising

our voices on long term solutions. All good things, and other

international development charities are doing similar.

BUT it is the business sector, in all of its dimensions, that has

the potential for change at the scale and depth that is needed

to bring about an end to poverty.

We need a partnership for change between the business

community and organisations like Christian Aid.

Businesses asking themselves about how the value they

create can be shared- who has the power to gain from

business transactions; how can the value created be shared in

a more equitable and sustainable way?

Certainly, return and value for share holders is important, like

oxygen to the body, but pick up any management journal today

it’s clear that the forefront of business thinking is about asking

how to be sustainable in relationship to all stakeholders, and

the planet. Business leaders around the world are increasingly

asking about the social and environmental impact of business:

how can ‘shared value’ as Michael Porter has described it, be

created? A sustainable business in the future will need to be

creatively answering these questions.

Businesses asking themselves questions about global

supply chains- sourcing goods in ways that create decent

employment, and manage the environmental impact in a

sustainable way. Examples of leading companies: Unilever and

Marks and Spencer. Buying teams who bring a framework of

ethics to recognise their responsibility all down the chain. What

decisions could be made differently to ensure sustainable and

long term partnerships in purchasing? To give more power to

people living in poverty, to involve them more fully in the

market?

What part can business play in tackling poverty?

Lots of businesses have great corporate social

responsibility programme- CSR activities which make a

practical difference in the lives of people living in

poverty- they are good in themselves, but not the type

of change that is going to transform lives at the scale

and depth we are talking about.

Business contribution to ending poverty is not about

CSR, its’ about changes to the way business does

business. There are some important questions for

businesses to be asking about how business is done

and the impact it has on people living in poverty. We

can all play a part in asking these questions.

Businesses are asking themselves questions

about their impact on the environment.

I was in Bangladesh in November where increasing

climate chaos is impacting on the poorest people.

We know from our own recent experience that floods

create havoc for business and livelihoods.

For people living in poverty in Bangladesh the

challenge for businesses globally to shift to greener

energy and low carbon impact is a matter of life and

death.

Business choices about energy and production are

all part of the system creating climate chaos; it is the

poorest people in the world who are already on the

receiving end of this impact.

This is something we can all be part of- growing

movement for those changes here in Winchester.

Businesses asking themselves questions about

transparency and accountability.

In the years that I worked on our Africa programme, a dominate

theme of our analysis with partners across the continent was the

fact that across the African continent many countries are rich in

natural resources, minerals but also land- but people living in

poverty were not benefiting. The question is how can companies

change their behaviour with regard to tax to ensure that the

benefits of that wealth also bring about lasting change in the lives

of people who live in poverty.

Through the IF campaign last year we have seen increasing

business engagement on the issue of tax justice.

Tax revenues are at the heart of a change in the balance of

power, at the heart of a developing countries ability to invest in

development- to provide services like health, education and

transport infrastructure.

Tax is one of the routes governments of poor countries have for

mobilising resources and reducing their dependence on aid

revenues.

Tax also increases accountability and reduces corruption-

strengthening the arm of citizens to hold their governments to

account, rather than governments being mainly concerned to

keep rich country donor governments happy.

We know that unscrupulous companies are dodging tax, and it is

people living in poverty who are paying the price. Christian Aid

estimates that the total value of that tax dodging is more than the

global annual aid budget.

Through raising our voice in lobbies and campaigns, meeting

business leaders and talking with government about their

policies, we are seeing change.

Our own government is now championing within the G8 the

publication of a register of beneficial ownership of companies so

that it is much more transparent, who is benefiting from trade.

Companies can make a difference by reporting their profits in

each country in which they operate, rather than transferring

profits through internal price mechanisms.

Industry standards can be changed to raise the bar for all- we

are calling on the FTSE 4 Good to add a tax transparency

criteria.

If you are not already involved in our tax justice campaign we

need you, you can get involved through our website.

Supply chains, environmental sustainability, transparency and

accountability-

Above all, the opportunity exists for business to ask

themselves about the part they play in reducing inequality.

We know that unscrupulous companies are dodging tax, and it is

people living in poverty who are paying the price. Christian Aid

estimates that the total value of that tax dodging is more than the

global annual aid budget.

Through raising our voice in lobbies and campaigns, meeting

business leaders and talking with government about their

policies, we are seeing change.

Our own government is now championing within the G8 the

publication of a register of beneficial ownership of companies so

that it is much more transparent, who is benefiting from trade.

Companies can make a difference by reporting their profits in

each country in which they operate, rather than transferring

profits through internal price mechanisms.

Industry standards can be changed to raise the bar for all- we

are calling on the FTSE 4 Good to add a tax transparency

criteria.

If you are not already involved in our tax justice campaign we

need you, you can get involved through our website.

Supply chains, environmental sustainability, transparency and

accountability-

Above all, the opportunity exists for business to ask

themselves about the part they play in reducing inequality.

For Maya, as a dalit young woman working her way out of

poverty is about overcoming social exclusion: I have already

talked about access to education, but two other changes make

clear the role of business: having access to basic health, and the

opportunity for decent employment.

Christian Aid is working with local civil society organisations in

15000 Indian villages, including Maya’s, to enable 9m people to

access basic health care through private companies.

The Indian government has legislated for the provision of health

care insurance through a private company. The company sets up

roadside stalls for people to register- on registration they get a

smartcard (this means that cash is being removed from payment

for health care- removing opportunity for corruption).

However, for Maya and millions like her those road side stalls are

in accessible- her village is too far from the type of road a private

company would use- Christian Aid is working with the support of

DFID to help bring those private sector services closer to every

village so poor and excluded people can benefit.

What will make it possible for Maya to have a job and a decent

wage? As a woman, and as a dalit, she is doubly marginalised

and excluded. What part could business play in creating

opportunities for her?

The Indian government has recently brought in legislation which

requires the larger India businesses to invest 2% of their profits

each year in programmes to tackle poverty.

As we look at the global nature of business we all know that

decisions made in one continent impact on the lives of people in

others. My friends on the 705 are no doubt making decisions

which will impact on investment in India. What are the criteria

being used in these investments?

What scope is there for affirmative action that means more dalit

and socially excluded people in India are employed in the future;

what part can business play in transforming social relationships?

Christian Aid is working with the Chamber of Indian Industry to

apply peer pressure among companies, led by groups such as

TATA. We have been working with the Bombay Stock Exchange

on affirmative action.

We are working with the Indian Institute of Management to

encourage more innovation in social enterprises.

We are working at the grassroots: at community level to map the

assets available, and to train 1000 women as ‘employment

mates’- helping marginalised communities to negotiate with

government and business for employment creation as part of an

integrated approach to development in the 6 poorest states of

India.

Our India programme working with DFID is training 14 000 poor

and socially excluded young people for employment in the next 2

years.

These changes are being achieved through a partnership of

government, the business sector and civil society.

Christian Aid is playing its part developing scalable and credible

opportunities built on the base of social capital and reach we

have among poor and marginalised communities- we need

businesses to come alongside this innovation and be part of the

process of wider transformation in India and beyond

A moment for leadership.

We need to hear the voices of Maya, and millions like her around

the world, we need to engage together across the divides of

sectoral thinking – government, nfp charities, and private

businesses - are all needed for these changes.

As future generations look back at business today, some will be

seen as the thought leaders who helped to make business good

for people, and good for the planet.

1. We can invest in transforming businesses-

All of the programmes have just talked about, and many more

like them need investment- as we move into the next era of

transforming business, there is an invitation for us to become

investors in this kind of change. You might be able to make a

personal commitment, you may be able to influence investors

like your pension fund or your company

In the next couple of years Christian Aid plans to be incubating

20 new social enterprises in India which will be part of the

changing landscape in which we can see markets working for

people who are socially excluded and are living in poverty today.

These are the opportunities which will create a different future for

girls like Maya and millions like her.

Right now, Christian Aid is responding to this need by seeking

over £200,000 funding to be used for loans to enterprises around

the world who cannot access local finance but show great

potential to improve the livelihoods of poor producers and

consumers. You, or people you know, may be able to contribute

towards that investment.

Christian Aid is also collaborating with a number of NGO’s in the

sector to develop a unique platform which will channel larger

amounts of investment finance to enterprises linked to our

market development programmes that cannot access local

finance. This work will attract new investors while partner

enterprises get the added technical support that Christian Aid

specialises in.

Transforming business, ending poverty?

Transforming business, ending poverty is all

about people who live in poverty being actors and

agents for change, it is equally about the role you

and I can take, to be actors and agents for

change.

The Fairtrade movement over the last 20 years

has shown the remarkable impact of people

making choices in favour of people who live in

poverty- we can build on this.

2. We can raise our voices, use our influence and networks-

If you and your friends are making decisions about core business

decisions- Supply chains, environmental sustainability,

transparency and accountability, inequality and affirmative action-

we can be asking how can businesses be making decisions

which keep in mind the needs of Maya, and other individuals

around the world. In coming months let’s work together to find

more ways to encourage businesses to be asking these

questions.

20 years of the Fair trade mark has shown the influence we can

all have through our day to day choices. Now the opportunity is

here for business more widely to become transformational as we

join in a partnership for change to end the scandal of poverty.

We will all be needed to make that change a reality.