Revolution could benefit Fair Trade Egypt

Aiming to empower the disadvantaged and marginalized communities in Egypt through the support of product development, Fair Trade Egypt is a unique company.

Through technical assistance and business training, the company hopes to achieve a sustainable source of income for artisans through the trade of handicrafts within Egypt and abroad.

Since its foundation, Fair Trade Egypt has faced many challenges, but the country’s revolution may be the catalyst for the future success of this initiative.

Fair Trade Egypt began in 1998, stemming from a previous development initiative by a consultancy firm named NSCE and Italian NGO, COSPE. It currently works alongside approximately 2,700 Egyptian craft artisans from around the country and follows the principles of the World Fair Trade Organization.

Part of Fair Trade Egypt’s mission is to preserve culture and heritage through the techniques used and products created by Egyptian artisans. Some artisans learn from scratch, but many have solid craft-making foundations and merely need support in marketing and product development. Fair Trade Egypt has a lifetime commitment to the artisans, many of whom would have no other source of income without the organization.

Unfortunately, the revolution has had a severe impact upon Fair Trade Egypt. There have been delays in shipping and transport along with a dramatic reduction in sales, although these have recovered somewhat in recent months.

Mona el-Sayed, manager of Fair Trade Egypt and member of the World Fair Trade Organization Board of Directors who spoke to Bikyamasr.com, attributes poor post-revolution sales of handicrafts to Egyptians being too busy, foreigners returning home and a much lower number of tourists visiting the country.

“In January and February [2011] we would cry if someone entered our shop, it was that happy, now we get 60-70% of what we should achieve,” she said.

Despite this, Sayed firmly believes that the revolution could have a positive impact on both domestic and international markets for Egyptian fair trade handicrafts.

“The revolution could be the best thing that ever happened to Egypt in the medium term to long term because Egyptians are more aware of the people of Egypt and it is the right moment to tell them they can have a role by simply choosing what to buy… It gave a better image of Egypt around the world and people are curious about Egypt,” she continued.

This begs a question; what role should the consumer play in promoting social justice?

According to Sayed, “Change comes from people. If we think about our buying decision it puts pressure on governments and institutions to do what we need. Corporations are not interested in social responsibility.”

There is no doubt that consumers play a role in promoting social justice, but government support is also a key ingredient in facilitating the success of organizations such as Fair Trade Egypt. Sayed cites the lack of government support as one of the constraints to the organization’s growth.

“It was difficult to make people believe it [fair trade] would help communities. People were skeptical, for good reason, about anything developmental. Anything in Egypt had the problem that it would be corrupt. We faced corruption [and] had to pay a bribe against our ethics and principles, but the price of not paying is to close the shop. There is no government support,” she argued.

In fact, Fair Trade Egypt has had a multitude of obstacles to overcome, ranging from issues with the political environment, Egyptian and international customers and the artisans themselves.

One of the most challenging obstacles Sayed noted was the need to adapt the traditional techniques of artisans to modern market demands.

Sayed tells a story of the difficulties which ensued from Fair Trade Egypt’s attempt to alter the background color of an embroidery pattern to enhance its marketability. This simple change took over two years to implement due to artisans being used to their own techniques and methods for creating products.

The handicraft market has not always proved to be particularly compatible with many Egyptian people.

According to Sayed, “It is super hard to sell handicrafts in Egypt. It is not in their consumption habits or something they [Egyptians] value.”

When Fair Trade Egypt decided to expand its export market to the international community, it faced further challenges with documentation, bureaucracy, the standardization of products and the necessity to meet international standards.

Despite the challenges, Sayed is optimistic about the future of the organization both within Egypt and regarding international markets.

“Fair Trade Egypt has a lot of potential. It is unique in terms of concept in Egypt … I really think Fair Trade Egypt will have a big social impact in general.”

“We have now laid down infrastructure,” Sayed added, “and it’s time to start building.”

** Fair Trade Egypt has shops in Zamalek (27 Yehia Ibrahim St, 1st Floor, Apt. 8) and Maadi (12 Street number 205, Apartment 1). More information is available at http://www.fairtradeegypt.org, or their Facebook page, “Fair Trade Egypt”.