History

How long has the organisation been operating?

The FTAANZ was founded as an incorporated not-for-profit association in the ACT as of 2 June 2003. Activities and initiatives under the banner of the FTAANZ have been carried on since this date. Products bearing the Fairtrade Certification label began to be sold in Australia and New Zealand as of October 2003.

Why was the FTAANZ formed?

The Association was formed to bring together the increasing number of fair trade related activities and actors in Australia and New Zealand to increase effectiveness and impact through economies of scale, collaboration, and information sharing.

The FTAANZ has 3 clear client groups that it exists for. The first is its members. The FTAANZ is a membership-based body and it has a responsibility to provide services to individual and organisational members within the framework of its vision and objectives (see the Vision & Mission section). The second group of clients are those organisations and businesses in Australia and New Zealand who are participating in the Fairtrade system (i.e. the use of the Fairtrade Certification label on products). The FTAANZ provides services to this client group to support the effective use of the label, in accordance with international standards, and to educate consumers. The third and most important client group are those for whom the whole concept of fair trade exists – disadvantaged producers in developing countries. The underpinning purpose of FTAANZ activities is to facilitate and promote trade and consumption in Australia and New Zealand that directly supports sustainable development and a ‘fair go’ for those producers in developing countries being marginalised and adversely effected by current global trading arrangements.

What has FTAANZ achieved to date?

Products, launches, research, licensees

• Four Fairtrade products in the Australian and New Zealand markets – Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Cocoa – representing over 20 different producer groups
• As at 4 April 2005 there are 45 ANZ Fairtrade licensed wholesalers – 3 Tea, 2 Chocolate, 42 Coffee (two tea licensees to both tea and coffee)
  Sales (mostly wholesale value) to 31 December 2004 in excess of AUD1.24 million, with coffee sales accounting for almost AUD1 million of this
• FTAANZ is developing with interested members a rationale paper for Fairtrade Standards and Trade of coconut oil, aiming to have it submitted by mid 2005

Marketing & Campaigns

• Focusing on supermarkets, procurement market and universities in 2005
• Working with Oxfam CAA and Oxfam NZ very closely – both with active campaigns to focus on fair trade, especially Fairtrade coffee
• Fairtrade Fortnight to be held in Australia and New Zealand from 7 to 21 May 2005
• 2005 Easter campaign around Fairtrade chocolate
• Formation of student network

Organisational Development

• Currently growing from a single part-time staff member supported by volunteer effort, to multiple full time and part staff across Australia and New Zealand thanks to support from NZAID, the Myer Foundation, Oxfam CAA, Oxfam NZ, and Trade Aid Importers
• Working on securing funding for a 3-year producer development and market linkages project
• Almost finished setting up an Australian and New Zealand entity that will be the regional member of the Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International and that will administer and manage the use of the Fairtrade Label and the implementation of the Fairtrade certification system