Kiwis rally behind global Sustainable Development Goals to make trade fair for farmers

• Fairtrade Australia New Zealand encourages the New Zealand Government to use trade as a driver for poverty reduction through the Sustainable Development Goals

• More than 2,500 Kiwis show support for Government to make trade fair

Fairtrade Australia New Zealand is encouraging John Key’s Government to deliver equitable trade deals to developing countries, with a new paper released this week that highlights the impact of trade in addressing global challenges through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The paper comes as world leaders are set to gather in New York this week to renew their commitment to fight global poverty by adopting the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Trade is central to both poverty reduction and environmental sustainability,” says Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand CEO Molly Harriss Olson. “When trade systems are designed with sustainable development in mind, they can boost incomes, tackle poverty and deliver a lasting impact.”

“With half of the world’s hungriest people producing 70% of the world’s food, change is now more important than ever.”

Fairtrade Australia New Zealand believe that trade policy coherence is the key to advancing the ambition of the SDGs.

“Based on 25 years of the Fairtrade system empowering small scale producers, we are well-placed to provide support through our five point policy agenda: Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals Through Trade,” says Ms Harriss Olson.

Through this paper, Fairtrade Australia New Zealand illustrate the need for a “joined-up” government approach, which not only advocates for fairer Indo-Pacific trade policy, but actively considers the impacts of policy decisions on farmers and workers in developing countries. Such an approach would ensure sustainable development is recognised as a top shared priority of the government and would help New Zealand drive fair and sustainable trade throughout the Indo-Pacific region, an issue which Ms Harriss Olson says is already on the radar of Kiwi consumers.

“More than 2,500 Kiwis have already thrown their support behind our call for fairer trade, which highlights that as a developed nation we understand the influential role we can play in overcoming global poverty,” says Ms Harriss Olson. “Their voices will highlight the need to deliver a better future for the world’s farmers including Fairtrade’s 1.5 million producers across 74 countries.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media