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True Stories

Stories are one of the great forces of the universe; they can pull people together or drive them apart; they make people laugh, or cry, or lean in spellbound; they give people values to believe in and reasons for being. Consumers are vital to the shaping of these stories for they make the private sector work through businesses and brands. The global information revolution is creating a new culture of radical transparency, and a new meritocracy. The fact that consumers are demanding higher eth...

Conscious Consumer

The 2008 World Export Development Forum (WEDF) in Montreux was the 10th forum since 1999. Its raison d'etre, says the ITC's Executive Director, Ms Patricia Francis, is to provide a forum where developing markets are exposed to the knowledge and technical information necessary for them to compete on an equal footing with their developed nation counterparts. More than 200 delegates, from 30 countries, gathered for the conference, which this year adopted the theme, Consumer Conscience: How Envir...

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Forum

Letter From the International Trade Centre

Business in Biodiversity

The idea of profiting from biodiversity conservation may seem strange, but this is in fact an essential condition for mobilizing private investment in conservation. Without profit, business dies and markets stagnate, notes a major new study, Building Biodiversity Business, which has been underwritten by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and Shell International. From forestry and fisheries to bioprospecting and ecotourism, biodiversity conservation can be...

Brand Africa

Africa had its own pavilion at Biofach, the World Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg this year, which marked the first time African exporters were gathered under one roof in a concerted campaign to strengthen and promote 'Brand Africa'. The number of exhibitors more than doubled to 75 this year in an effort to bring more visibility to African exporters. They are, in short, working examples of the ITC maxim 'export impact for good' and the fair was a wonderful showcase for the changing face of Af...

Tomorrow's Tpos

Trade promotion organizations (TPOs) have proven their worth over the last decade in the rapidly changing nature of world trade. A recent study found that TPOs have a strong and statistically significant impact on exports. After examining 104 TPOs around the world, the study estimated that, on average, each $1 spent on export promotion led to a $40 increase in exports. However, making a difference to export growth can be a challenging task for TPOs in some developing countries. TPOs are incre...

Lost in Labels: In the Maze of the Environmental Labels: An Opportunity or a Barrier?

Shopping green for food in supermarkets can be difficult -- deciding between products with labels proclaiming their organic origin, fair trade qualities or low carbon footprint can be confusing. The challenge for food producers seeking to export to international markets can be even more demanding: certification is often too expensive for small exporters. The proliferation of private standards stems from rising global concern for sustainable development, supported by the demand for social equi...

Bringing Down the Barriers: Helping Small Exporters in Developing Countries Adapt to New Global Trade Conditions

How to overcome the difficulties of small to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) taking up global market opportunities was central to discussions at an ITC-moderated session at the WTO Public Forum in September, where two key messages emerged. The first was the need for the WTO to engage the private sector by keeping pace with the evolution of business practices; the second was the critical role the WTO can play in providing transparency, predictability and legal certainty to SMEs in developing co...

Bahia Tourism - Five Stars for Sustainability

The fact that tourists who travel to Bahia can access high-quality products and services delivered by renowned resorts such as Costa do Sauipe, Super Club Breezes, Reserva Imbassai, Iberostar, Ecoresort Praia do Forte and Vila Gale Mares Hotel Guarajuba, might be old news. What makes this worth writing about are the stories hidden behind the facts. The ITC program links local communities with the value chains of the products and services they can supply. It works with the communities to help ...

News Brief

Forecast for Boom in Green Jobs

Hands Across the Spanish-Speaking World

Fair Trade 'Will Survive' Economic Crisis

Afghanistan Wins Global Export Award

Reducing the Middlemen in Food Aid

Forum: World View

Enabling the Entrepreneurs

Any good business strategy starts with an assessment of the market, including the economic and political factors influencing demand, and the opportunities for sales in export markets. That is particularly important in the case of entrepreneurs in developing countries, for whom the need to go global is often a necessity from the outset. In order to keep the trading environment open, global companies must increasingly demonstrate the power of trade to improve lives, as well as create greater di...

Time for Strategic Planning

People around the world are waking up to a new economic reality and asking themselves what impact the economic maelstrom will have on ethical trade, developing nations and consumer conscience. The most practical exporters should also be asking what strategies they should use to survive or even benefit from the crisis. Here are some of the strategies: 1. Don't panic. 2. Chase the ethical consumers. 3. Invest in capacity building -- consider grants and pro bono contributions. 4. Pick the ethica...

Business Talk

Organic Cotton

While eco-friendly clothing is not the new fashion standard, growing consumer interest is boosting growth in the organic cotton industry by a rate of 50% each year. Organic cotton producers cant keep up with demand yet many exporters see risks in making the conversion to organic. The first significant obstacle to a developing-country exporter breaking into this small club is, well, just that: breaking into a small club. More than half the global production is in the hands of two companies -- ...

Policy Pages

Fair Trade: What's Behind the Label?

In an interview, Rob Cameron, CEO of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), talked about the difference between Fairtrade and fair trade. 'Fairtrade', according to Cameron, specifically describes the certification and labeling system governed by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). The broader term fair trade refers to the movement as a whole and encompasses other fair trade organizations. While the prospect of recession and increasing prices of staple foods ...