IRFT
(International Resources for Fairer Trade) |
  |
| Orignial
content |
Interview
with Mr. Arun Raaste, Director, IRFT |
| Legal
Status |
Registration
No :
Registered
in :
1995
Registered as : Trust
under Bombay Public Trust Act
Founder :
Present Leader :
Tax Exemptions :
FCRA : |
|
Mission |
To
have an impact on poverty and unemployment by promoting and
supporting fairer trade and ethical business.
|
| Objectives |
-
Promote Fair Trade as a tool to positively impact livelihoods.
- Support
the development of Community Based Enterprises as sustainable
businesses.
- Encourage
and monitor socially responsible behaviour amongst mainstream
businesses. |
| Trustees |
Mr.
Shyam Pathak. (Chairman)
Mr. Kailas Dabholkar.
Mr. Sunil Dalal.
Mrs. Farida Lambay.
Ms. Sushma Iyengar.
Mr. Tushar Dayal.
Mr. R. C. Khanna.
Mr. Dipesh Shroff.
Dr. Meena Galliara. |
| Brief |
Established
in the year 1995, IRFT has been working at the intersection
of business and development, making business more sustainable
and its benefits reachable to poorest of the poor. We undertake
this through promotion of Fair Trade, and supporting Community
Business Enterprises. At the same time we encourage and monitor
socially and environmentally responsible practices among mainstream
business entities. |
| Programmes |
Community
Business Programme
IRFT aim at improving business performance of Community
Based Enterprises(CBE) and thereby ensuring the sustainability
of the disadvantaged artisans and farmers they work with.
Read More
Ethical Business Programme
IRFT
works at the intersection of business development to encourage
mainstream businesses to conduct operations in socially responsible
manner and also monitor such activities. IRFT believe that
business and trade are the engines of growth, and play, an
undeniably crucial role in development.
Read More
Sustainable
Agriculture Consultancy
Organic
Consultancy
Socially
Responsible Business/CSR
IRFT
work with mainstream businesses to support them in design
and implementation of their CSR
programmes. IRFT value the contribution of socially responsible
businesses who wish to promote triple bottom line approach.
Read
More
Domestic Fair Trade Promotion
Fair
Trade aims to give disadvantaged small producers and workers
more control over their own lives. It addresses the injustice
of insufficient income for a decent living and insufficient
market access by guaranteeing that producers receive fair
terms of trade and fair prices or wages – however unfair
the conventional market is. Fair Trade
is a commercial "partnership that aims at a sustainable
development for producers that are either excluded or disadvantaged.
Read
More |
| Ongoing Projects |
|
| SARTHEE- Developing
Pro-poor Business Counselling Services in India |
The benefits
for a participating organization.
For each organisation:
- Two participants will be trained in, and receive mentored
support to:
' Provide high quality business counselling services to enterprises
' Work effectively with clients, leading to increased client
satisfaction and greater demand
- One participant will visit Germany (Subject to Visa regulations)
to increase understanding of BDS providers in Europe, share
skills and explore opportunities for future collaboration. The
same individual will be trained as a trainer, to transfer learning
to other employees within the organization, and beyond.
- The organization will be equipped with a CD containing Training
materials and specific Business Counselling Tools.
- The organization will be a part of an Internet network of
stakeholders within India and Europe to increase collaboration
and share information on best practice, and technical issues.
- Each participant will receive certificates of participation
and achievement.
Read
Details |
| PROFIT-Making Trade work for the poor |
Key activities
to be undertaken during the 33 months long Project:
- Research on fair trade in India and Europe
- National Workshop of stakeholders to form a collective of
stakeholders
- Formation of National Core Group
- Development of Interactive website
- Distribution and retail network for Fair Trade products
- Training, mentoring and support programmes for pro-poor MSEs
- Consumer Campaign
- Fair Trade Festival
- National Workshop to chart out future activities towards the
last 3 months
- Information Dissemination
Read
Details |
| Domestic
Fair Trade Project |
Objectives are:
- Making
products with a ‘social value’ i.e a Fair Trade
range of products available to consumers in mainstram markets
on a regular basis.
- Increasing awareness about various traditional skills
- Ensuring traceability of benefits through-out the production
supply chain
- Creating increased sustainability for small enterprises
through increased demand leading to increased employment opportunities
and improvement in social and economic status.
Read
Details
|
| Research |
Research
on "Development of Fish Trade and livelihood of women fish
vendors in Ahmedabad"
IRFT are carrying out the research on "Development of
Fish Trade and Livelihood of women fish vendors for Gujarat
State Mahila SEWA Cooperative Federation,Gujarat, with focus
on demand, market dynamics, value addition, and profitability.
The task consists of assessing the existing marketing structure,
market price, economics of trade, and also the skills of producer
members and to suggest possible increase in scale.
Research
for MAVIM, Government of Maharastra:
" Impact of Self Help Group Programmes on the Empowerment
of Women in Yeotmal District of Maharashtra"
Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), a corporation instituted
by Government of Maharshtra,has asked Maharastra to conduct
empirical research and evaluation of MAVIM's Program in Yeotmal
District of Maharshtra. The study entitled "Impact of Self
Help Group Programmes on the Empowerment of Women in Yeotmal
District, Maharashtra" seeks to examine the impact of the
micro-credit programmes conducted by MAVIM on the lives of poor
women. It seeks to assess and document the process of social
transformation initiated by MAVIM. The study is currently underway
and final report will be available by mid 2007. |
| Feasibility study
and identification of income generation activity in Bhal region
|
Feasibility
study and identification of income generation activity in Bhal
region for MAHITI-rural development Centre.
IRFT has undertaken a Feasibility Study on Identifying Possible
Income Generation Activities in Bhal Region of Gujarat .
The specific objective of the study are :
· To identify and decide income generation activities
that are possible in Bhal that could provide long term employment
to 1000 odd women
· To study the market feasibility on the basis of identified
income generation activity
· To prepare detailed action plan and a proposal to establish
the income generation activity
· To identify the strategies for implementation of the
project |
| Capacity Building |
Capacity
building of PRAGATI, Koraput Orissa
Pragati is a voluntary organisation, established in the year
1992. Action area of Pragati is rural in nature, predominantly
inhabited by tribal people like Paraja, Kotia ,Dora ,Rana, Gadba
and Kondh. Most of the villages where Pragati works are located
in hilly terrains and remain inaccessible during the rainy season.
The main objective of the organisation is to improve the socio-economic
standard of the rural people living in remote backward areas
of Koraput district. The organisation is involved into no. of
income generation activities pertaining to non timber forest
produce like cashew, amla, spices etc. With the aim of building
capacity for their business activities, IRFT is facilitating
in developing various systems in the areas of business like
costing and pricing, business planning and have provided various
capacity building inputs in the area of marketing, pricing and
costing, value addition, business planning and analysis. |
| Past Interventions |
Project on Capacity
Building of the Business Service Organisations in Orissa
Project on Social Responsibility in Leather and Textile/Garment
sector in India
SafeFood India Project
|
| Address |
International
Resources for Fairer trade
Sona Udyog, Unit No. 7,
Parsi Panchayat Road,
Andheri (E)
Mumbai– 400 069 (Maharastra), India
Phone : (91-22) 2835 2811 / 2823 5246.
Fax: (91-22) 2823 5245.
E-mail- admin@irft.org |
Website
|
http://www.irft.org |
