| About Cotton on to Fairtrade procurement |
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"Cotton on to Fairtrade procurement" is a 3-years project led by the Fairtrade Foundation and managed by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office. This project seeks to increase public awareness, understanding and support for Fairtrade (FT) and encourage more public bodies and educational establishments to purchase FT cotton. It will build on progress made in previous projects such as the Public Affairs and Fair Procura project, both led by EFTA by helping to build the FT Towns network regionally and encouraging sharing of best practise in public procurement. This project will target procurement professionals, harness grass roots networks to campaign and interact with public bodies and policy makers at a local and regional level on cotton procurement and push for clearer and more consistent interpretation of EU procurement guidance by member states in Europe providing practical tools wherever possible to encourage public action on development.
Why Public Procurement?Public authorities are major consumers and public procurement currently accounts for around 16% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product GDP. This purchasing power represents a huge opportunity to boost the sales of Fair Trade products and is an excellent way for public authorities to set an example and show their support to Fair Trade.
Public Affairs focused on raising awareness towards European, national and regional authorities about Fair Trade Public Procurement (FTPP), but attention was also given to other actors in FTPP such as the catering and vending sector. Partners
Fairtrade Foundation
UK Labelling Initiative for FT (FLO) certified products with a vibrant network of grassroots activists in 475 FT Towns, over 6,000 faith groups, engaged with 4,400 schools and 130 FT universities. FT Towns are scaling up with a marked increase in county and regional level campaigns offering new opportunities for influence. Will work with procurement professionals in local authorities, through FT Towns networks, and with grassroots to engage on raising awareness around procurement and cotton. Back to the top  People and Planet
Member organisation of FT Foundation and long-term partner in youth campaigning on FT. Will promote ‘Poverty Aware Procurement’ on campus with Universities creating an awareness campaign with students & procurement professionals. Will also target 6 procurement consortia for universities in England and 30 universities for pro-poor procurement policy and institutional support. Back to the top  Fairtrade Ireland Irish Labelling Initiative for FT (FLO) certified products. Has an active network of 74 Fairtrade Towns, 45 Local authorities, 47 Parishes and is linked with 600 schools and 22 Colleges already working and linking with procurement professionals on coffee and other products. Will implement awareness raising campaign and actions towards procurement professionals and citizens in schools, colleges, local authorities, hospitals, hotels, sports clubs, youth organisations, public bodies and NGO’s.
Back to the top  Plate-Forme pour le Commerce Equitable (PFCE) PCFE is the French network of FT organizations (40 members) and is co-leading the Fair-Trade Towns campaign in France. PCFE will work with the procurement profession especially through its network of FT Towns (20 currently) who are already quite active in FT procurement and wishing to develop especially their procurements in FT cotton (especially for professional clothing). Implement awareness-raising campaign and actions towards citizens, children in schools, 200 local groups of activists from Max Havelaar France and Artisans du Monde. Back to the top Associates IDEAS IDEAS is a Spanish Fair Trade and Alternative Economy organisation who’s mission is to help build a more fair and sustainable world with national and international activities in Fair Trade, solidarity economy and responsible consumption. Created in 1989, it has been the first Spanish organisation to develop Fair Trade activities with organisations from the South.  ICLEI ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development.
Created in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives at the United Nations in New York . It now counts with more than 800 members worldwide.  EFTA EFTA is an association of eleven Fair Trade importers in nine European countries. Formally established in 1990, it aims at encouraging its members to cooperate and coordinate. It facilitates the exchange of information and networking, it creates conditions for labour division and it identifies and develops joint projects.
Public Affairs: Mobilising action for Fair Trade Public Procurement was a 3-year project led by EFTA: the European Fair Trade Association and brought together 3 of EFTA’s members - CTM-Altromercato in Italy, IDEAS in Spain and Oxfam Wereldwinkels in Belgium – as well as ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability. Having started in December 2007, this project, co-financed by the European Commission, built on the previous Fair Procura project, also led by EFTA. The project has now come to an end, but our work on Fair Trade public procurement continues. For more information on the Public Affairs project click here |
This website has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of EFTA and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
