Social Innovation Dictionary — Fair Trade

noun: trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid to the producers (OXFORD DICTIONARIES).

It is well known that “the richest 20 percent of the world’s population consume 86 percent of the world’s resources while the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent” (UN Development Program). This strong inequality means that the balance needle is always pointing in one direction. Fair Trade was born precisely to counterbalance this strong inequality among the so-called countries of the South of the World and those of the North of the World. New economic realities were born, mainly in the field of agriculture and local crafts, where workers could earn a fair salary and where revenues were reinvested in community projects, such as schools, aqueducts, hospitals, etc.

In recent years, given the recent crisis in Europe and USA, so many fair trade organisations have emerged also in developed countries. An Italian example is Kamba, a small businesses model of social inclusion borned to help asylum seekers and immigrants. It is a project in which PACO collaborates with, aiming to enhance their gastronomic origin identity through the key of international cuisine. Driven by African chefs, the trainees learn to redesign the dishes of their traditional cuisine by creating sophisticated culinary delights, which are offered to the public in various contexts, from private dinner to catering.

Author: Silvia Remotti

Illustration: Valentina Vezzani

Originally published at www.pacollaborative.com on October 30, 2017.