Towards a better deal on trade (March, 2006)
Related pages: Millennium Development Goal 8:
Aid, Trade, Growth |
White paper speech on growth and poverty reduction (19 Jan, 2006) |
Back to Fair Trade Fortnight 2006
 Hilary
Benn attended the WTO trade talks in Hong Kong at the end of 2005. Getting 149
countries to reach an agreement on international trade rules was always going to
be difficult, and so it proved.
But the World Trade Organisation – although it comes in for some criticism - offers
poor countries the best chance of trading their way out of poverty and of
providing the healthcare, schooling, social security and infrastructure we take
for granted in the UK.
At those talks, there was just enough progress on a few important issues to give
us hope of reaching a better deal for poor people in 2006.
We are now working hard to make that happen. This feature bring together
some of the latest thinking, plus stories from farmers, producers and leaders in
the developing world. For more about our policy, please see our pages on trade.
Case studies
 Gambian is Good is a
horticultural
company established to make small-scale farming work for poor rural Gambian
communities.
Helped by a DFID grant, more than 50 tonnes of produce were traded
in the first nine months of 2005, and volumes are set to grow, enabling 'Gambia
is Good' to develop as a business well beyond the period of DFID’s grant
support.
 Our
support to Fair Trade Tourism South Africa helped to promote the concept and principles of fair
trade in the South African tourism industry so that communities and workers
can experience the benefits that tourism can bring.
Our grant of £300,000 through the
 Business
Linkages Challenge Fund helped to implement a trademark programme which
recognises fair and responsible tourism practice and gives confidence to buyers.
Other links
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