(Last of two parts)
“People need to stop financing denial of climate change” – Al Gore
The evolution of the people-to-people trade exemplified by APF Alter Trade plays one of the bigger roles being one of the pioneers of such endeavor.
In the just concluded 14th General Assembly there are three major issues that were extensively and profoundly discussed.
1. How to contribute to mitigate the ill-effects of the worsening climate crisis, especially among the members of APF in the South or the developing countries where partner consumers in Japan and Korea source out products for responsible consumption.
2. How to efficiently maximize resources for the agri-based production of products exported to Japan and Korea that will significantly help the producer partners where they can sustainably develop, benefiting their families and communities.
3. How to link with Europe, especially those like-minded groups and states who are involved in fair trade as a way of broadening and expanding people-to-people trading relations.
STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING P2P
The evolution of APF as the highest form of people-to-people solidarity relations among its member organizations in Asia continues to pursue its mission and encourages more potential groups and alternative business companies to become part of the movement.
Its desire to expand and strengthen is by way of the producers’ products as the main medium of this relationship. The bigger and, the wider it reaches the bigger impact it creates among its members especially the producer countries.
Within member countries of consumer groups and importing alternative companies in Japan and Korea while, at the same time, members from the south increase their production and better the quality of their products. Japan and Korea are the member countries that import products from its producer –member groups in countries from the south including the Philippines.
From the Philippines, it is Alter Trade that exports balangon banana and mascobado sugar. Other member-producer countries produce eco-shrimp, chocolate, dates, coffee and olive oil.
At the soonest time possible, partners in Europe engaged in fair trade and practicing principles of people-to-people are to be reached out and a start-up dialogues shall take place along this goal. It is only a matter of time which the leadership of APF is ready to take on.
A MORE PRESSING CONCERN
However, the major and immediate concern is the impact of climate change mainly among producer member countries because the products are agri-based and aqua-based. In the Philippines for example, products that we produce come from the rural and hinterlands of Negros and other parts of the country. We all know that the Philippines is one of the most calamity prone countries in the world – in fact we are in the top 10 list. We sit in the fault-line fronting the pacific where at least 20 typhoons visit every year. This is on top of the unpredictable occurrence of droughts and rains causing heavy damage to banana and sugarcane.
In 2021, when super typhoon Odette hit the country almost 100 percent of balangon in each of the production areas of Alter Trade was wiped out. For sugarcane, the damage was estimated at 40 percent among partner producers in Negros. Partner producers of Alter Trade for sugarcane are all small agrarian reform beneficiaries. This created loss of income for the producers and for the consumers the reliability of product source was also affected.
Solid and strengthened APF consumers in Japan and Korea including partners of Alter Trade in Europe extended financial assistance to their producer counterparts during these trying times.
This is the more immediate problem APF needs to address, or at least mitigate, because this problem will only become worse year after year not only for member countries and groups but as a global phenomenon however, more devastating to the producers.
WISE USE OF RESOURCES
Mitigating the major concern above entails use of financial resources but, it is not simply the use of it but more importantly, how and when to use it. The APF assists member producer countries by extending loans and other forms of assistance among its member producer countries and groups. This is where the use of its resources wisely fit.
Furthermore, a strategic concrete plan borne out of the participatory brainstorming and planning. Its main consideration should not affect product quality and volume requirements and the reassurance to the partner consumers that their expected finished product for consumption of their family is sustained. This strengthens people-to-people trading relationships.*
