The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

People should work for strengthening the Fair Trade movement to extend its market excess throughout the country to establish social and environmental justice.

Fair trade experts made the call at a workshop on Fair Trade for Eco Friendly Earth organised by National Fair Trade Network of Bangladesh (ECOTA) at CIRDAP auditorium yesterday.

Fair Trade is an organised social movement, which promotes sustainable development by improving market access for the disadvantaged producers. It seeks to overcome poverty through a partnership between all those involved in the trading process.

"Fair trade favours the sustainable development, use of natural resources and production method that are not capital and energy intensive, favouring hand production and organic agriculture to reduce the carbon footprint. Because fair Trade in committed to pay adequate wage to workers, it enables producer to invest in environmentally friendly production. In turn, this initiative promotes environmental awareness locally and internationally." said Mahfujullah, Chairman of Center for Sustainable Development (CEDS), while presenting the key notepaper.

The world is going to face a massive environmental disaster. People should consume the products, which comes from nature to make the environment safer, he added.

Prof Piyas Karim of Sociology and Political Science of Culver-Stockton College of USA, said, "Fair Trade is an alternative way of business to keep the environment safe, as industrialisation is creating pressure on the environment. The policymaker of the Government should create the opportunity to strengthen the movement in the country."

Raihan Ali, Chairman of ECOTA, Dr Atique Rahman, Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies spoke in the workshop.