Pilot program presented for Fair Trade system in the Peruvian textile cluster

(Lima, October 22, 2009).- The Andean Development Corporation and the Peruvian Commission for Export and Tourism Promotion (ProPeru) today presented the activities developed by Italian consultants from the B&C-Altromercato Consortium, selected to execute the "Pilot Program for the Fair Trade System in the Peruvian Textile Cluster."

CAF director-representatives in Peru Eleonora Silva Pardo said this was the first experience of a multilateral financial organization and a government body in developing methodologies and instruments to implement the Fair Trade System in the Peruvian textile and clothing sector. The System requires adopting ethical and respectful trade relations, with sustainable growth of nations and individuals, as the best way for developed countries to help developing countries.

Silva said execution of the project with the B&C-Altromercato Consortium included training, education, and technical assistance for implementation of Good Practices in Fair Trade in 60 companies located in Lima, Arequipa, Puno, Ayacucho and Junín, together with creation of a Fair Trade certification mark for the Peruvian textile sector.

"This project, which is supported by the CAF Competitiveness Support Program and PromPeru, is critical because of its direct impact on SMEs in the textile sector which employ 70% low-income female labor but with great potential for betterment," she said.

The CAF representative added that international customers are increasingly interested in finding companies which implement good practices in their organization and apply them at all levels of the chain in productive, logistic, trade aspects, and show signs of respect for the environment and social responsibility, which is also a principle formulated by CAF.

José Quiñones, export promotion director of ProPeru, said his organization was supporting the project through a consulting process by Italian experts in alliance with local experts for designing and implementing a Fair Trade system for Peruvian clothing manufactures.

"The main objective is to develop fair and equitable trade in the textile and clothing chain, with measuring indicators and link them to the market as a mechanism for promoting SMEs and the social and economic development of the country."

The executive added that in the Peruvian textile-clothing-fashion sector the fair trade niche has great potential for development and can be worked under the scheme of responsible competitiveness through projects which link value added and institutional strengthening components in the framework of actions of the fiber-textile-fashion chain cluster.

Marcelo Evangelista, representative of B&C-Altromercato, said that all the companies identified at this stage of the project have strong export potential, with the common characteristic that in all cases their relations with the productive environment of small workshops or artisans include a training phase.

The raw material used by the companies visited is basically alpaca fiber, along with organic cotton, vicuña, etc. The products range from sweaters, vests, dresses, pants and accessories such as hats, gloves and scarves, crocheted or knitted, bedspreads, shawls and accessories for the home, the representative added.

Lastly, Evangelista said that thanks to this project training would be offered to the textile chain cluster in an effort to reach international standards, and place production through Altromercado's 130 member associations and cooperatives which manage 350 World Shops in Italy and three other countries. Italy is a country with immense experience and leadership in the textile-clothing-fashion sector with the ideal knowledge and experience for a project of this nature, as well as offering an important market for Peruvian products,

Altromercato is the largest fair trade organization in Italy and second in the world promoting responsible and solidarity consumption. It is currently a national and international thematic guide for creating and executing solidarity economy initiatives for the autonomous development of peoples, farmers and artisans, especially in the South. The members of the non-profit consortium are active in fair trade and combating inequalities between North and South.

PROMPERU is a public decentralized body, attached to the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism - MINCETUR, responsible for promoting exports of products and services, and promoting and disseminating the image of Peru in the tourism sector. PromPeru gives priority to support for non-traditional export sectors with value added and decentralized production in the country.