BEC中級:公平交易 (1/3)

So, Ian. I understand that the original idea for Fairtrade came in 1989. How did it happen? Actually the Fairtrade Foundation itself was finally set up in 1992, but yes, you're right, the catalyst for the spread of Fairtrade was three years earlier when the international coffee agreement that controlled prices collapsed with the withdrawal of the US. At that time coffee was the world's biggest agricultural commodity. In a few months the price fell by half. It was a huge disaster for the 20 million people growing and processing coffee around the world. Many of the producing countries were dependent on coffee for over half their exports. Can you give us some examples of how you help, exactly? One way is that we encourage producers to learn how to compete effectively in international markets. We help farmers coming into the system to develop the capacity to cope with fulfilling demand and we set a minimum guaranteed price for their products.