It was a great pleasure to participate in the WFTO workshop held on 24th
& 25th of February 2015. WFTO workshop comprises general overview of the 10
Fair Trade principles. Furthermore, organizations can expect to learn more
about the process to fill out the Guarantee System Profile and Self Assessment
Report (SAR), member requirements, how to implement an Internal Monitoring
System (IMS), plus more while networking with local Fair Trade organizations!
The WFTO Guarantee System (GS) is a revolutionary
Fair Trade system that is credible, clear, and affordable. In 2011, the
membership of the WFTO decided to develop a new type of Fair Trade system to
meet the ever-growing demand for a more trustworthy Fair Trade recognition
scheme in the international market.
Developed by a group of experts in the field of Fair
Trade monitoring and verification, the major aspects in the development of the
GS were credibility, sustainability and robustness of the system. To achieve
these three criteria, the Guarantee System has five major components: new
membership admission procedure, Self Assessment Report, Monitoring Audit, Peer
Visit, and the Fair Trade Accountability Watch (FTAW). The FTAW is a
participative monitoring mechanism that allows the public to report compliance issues
regarding Fair Trade Organizations.
The primary goal of the Guarantee System is to
improve Fair Trade practices in the supply chain. It is an accountability and
development tool for organizations. Carrying out all the components allows WFTO
members to be more competitive and responsive to evolving markets thereby
creating the potential for increased sales.
The WFTO Guarantee System is not a product
certification system. It is an assurance mechanism that Fair Trade is
implemented in the supply chain and practices of the organization. Members that
passed the GS process attain the ‘Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization’ status
and may use the WFTO Label on their products.
Baladarshan
on the completion of the first GS Approval Cycle. Baladarshan is now a WFTO
Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization.
Baladarshan is a network of South Indian
organizations helping marginalized women by providing them with work opportunities
through craft production. The organization was originally founded by social
workers to provide work and income for discriminated women and their children
in Chennai slum areas. Today, the organization has grown into a thriving
network producing quality Fair Trade products. We provide capacity
building activities for women to improve their social and economic standing in
their communities.
Baladarshan having successfully completed the first
GS approval cycle, we have been
working towards achieving the GS for close to 2 years to hold on to its name
and fame. As a WFTO member of GS, we are obliged to submit a
self-assessment report (SAR) every two years. We believe we need to invest lot of time,
efforts, our resources and thought, to accomplish our goal. It’s an exciting
activity for our team now on. Regarding our overall
experience, The GS process was a
unique initiative for us-it was an opportunity to learn more. This was an
invaluable experience as it highlighted areas we needed to work on improving in
the coming months.
At first glance, the Self-Assessment Report (SAR)
format appeared overwhelming. The SAR is one of the three components of the GS.
It is where each member assesses their compliance with the requirements of the
Guarantee System. This is then checked through external visits (peer
visits and monitoring audits).
The internal monitoring system (IMS)
The IMS is a tool that each member is required to put
in place to monitor their suppliers’ compliance with the core Fair Trade
Principles.
The whole internal evaluation process involved a
considerable amount of dedication and attention. We understood that the IMS has
greatly helped us understand our supply chain, and identified areas where
improvement is needed.
Note that the IMS is a requirement but can be
addressed later in the improvement plan if the member needs time to develop and
implement it.
Peer
assistance
We did not
experience this interesting fact, but later we understood that peer visit would
have served as cost-effective means to improve compliance. Apparently the
GS audit went on well, by going through the GS process “it became clear to us
what needed attention, and also helped us to priorities the activities for
improvement.”
Continuous
improvement
The GS is a
continuous cycle of compliance monitoring and verification. Baladarshan has
just finished the first cycle. Areas that needed attention are identified on
the improvement plan they prepared. Depending on their risk category, which
influences the depths and monitoring frequency, Baladarshan will follow a
schedule of alternating peer visits and external audits in the future.
Thanking you!
It was great opportunity to meet all participants, everyone in
person. This workshop has been more informative, productive. We believe we have
an opportunity to network globally representing the fair trade chain.
We thank Ms.Christine Gent (Executive Director), Ms.Elise
Halwley (Sustainability Coordinator) and Mr.Pradeep (the ants store) the
regional offices and staff who worked tirelessly to organize this event to be
another successful WFTO event.
WFTO is an amazing organization and something we really enjoyed
learning more about being a part of its events
Thank you WFTO for the great opportunity!”
For
Baladarshan,
Stephen
Dawson
FT and
Monitoring Manager
