Japan's Food Network Businesses to Establish Asian People's Fund in Place of Fair Trade System

Copyright Daichi-o-Mamoru-Kai

Daichi-o-Mamoru-Kai, an organic food distribution network, announced on April 7, 2009, that it would start reserving money for the Asian People's Fund for Mutual Benefit prior to its official establishment in November 2009. The Fund is expected to start providing assistance for the activities of various Asian citizens' groups in April 2010.

Participating organizations include: Daichi-o-Mamoru-Kai; Alter Trade Japan Inc.; Pal System Consumers Co-operative Union; Green Co-op.; Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union (all located in Japan); and Dure Co-op (Republic of Korea). They intend to support the activities of community groups for agricultural development or poverty eradication in Asia. Participating members aim to provide small-scale loans and establish a system in order to pay close attention to appropriate fund usage.

The Fund plans to support producers of bananas (Negros Island, Philippine), shrimps (Indonesia), coffee (East Timor) and olives (Palestine), as well as Al-Khair Academy (Pakistan).

Organic Farming Activist Chosen as One of the World's Top 100 Social Entrepreneurs (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026864.html
Daichi-o-Mamoru-Kai(Association to Preserve the Earth) No.36 (August 2005)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
027961.html

Posted: 2009/10/01 06:00:15