The increasing demand and interest in Fairtrade products in Portugal has prompted Fairtrade Spain to grow its operations and take on the new name of Fairtrade Ibérica.
Even during difficult economic times, consumers in both countries are increasingly interested in the origin of the products they buy, asking for responsible and ethical products, according to Fairtrade international.
'We have seen a growing interest from Portuguese companies interested in offering Fairtrade products and it’s a better option to be able to work with them closer to Portugal”, said Laura Barrington, international licensing manager at Fairtrade International.
The last assembly of Fairtrade Spain’s members established new rules for expanding the organisation, as well as the new name, Fairtrade Ibérica.
'Thanks to the expansion we have already gained five new partners for Fairtrade Ibérica,' said Paul Cabrera, director of Fairtrade Ibérica. 'This is an essential step getting us closer to those companies convinced that only responsible, honest and transparent corporate policies will provide sustainable business success.”
At the assembly, María Jesús Sanz Sanjoaquin, responsible for Institutional Relations at ECODES and president of the board, welcomed five new partner organisations including the Etnor Foundation and the Corresponsables Foundation.
The new organisations join the pioneering group of nonprofit organisations who have been promoting Fairtrade in Spain since 2005, including: Alternativa3, the Confederación de Consumidores and Usuarios CECU, Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo ECODES, and Oxfam Intermón ETEA .
