Apply for an International Grant
Step 2 of 3: INTERNATIONAL Programmes
Trade
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Why Trade?
Trade is an important source of wealth generation and can lead to more rapid economic growth and subsequent reductions in inequity and poverty. Trade can help create new jobs, raise living standards and give people the opportunity to take charge of their lives. However, there are no guarantees that trade brings automatic developmental benefits. It is increasingly recognised that strategies are needed to ensure trade, whether local, national, regional or international, results in equitable and sustainable growth and a greater understanding is needed of what types of trade and value addition bring about more secure livelihoods for poor people.
Africa’s share of global trade is declining and its presence in world trade is largely confined to primary exports. In 1980, Africa had a 5.9% share of world trade and by 2006 this share had fallen to 2.8%. If Africa could regain just an additional 1% share of global trade, it would earn $70 billion more in exports each year - more than double what the region currently receives in development assistance.
The two main constraints to the growth of trade in Africa have been the global trade system and access to markets. Comic Relief’s strategy on trade focuses on the most disadvantaged groups in trade: small-scale producers and workers. Small-scale producers are particularly hard hit by the inequities of trade, as are workers engaged in global supply chains who are vulnerable to exploitative employment practices.
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Our Goal
Our goal is to contribute to sustainable and equitable wealth creation for producers and workers, primarily in Africa.
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How we can best support change
We believe equitable and sustainable wealth creation for producers and workers can be achieved by:
- Building the individual and organisational capacity of primary and secondary producers and workers, particularly women.
- Supporting producers and workers to build relevant partnerships along the supply chain.
- Strengthening producers and workers to engage meaningfully in dialogues on work and trade-related issues.
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Outcomes
Comic Relief wants to know that the projects we fund are bringing about changes in the lives of poor and disadvantaged people. We call these changes programme level outcomes, and define them as the ‘intended or unintended effects or changes to people’s lives that happen as a result of the project or organisation’s activities’.
During the period covered by this strategy we would expect to see projects working towards one or more of the following outcomes:
- African producers and their organisations are more efficient and productive and better able to add value to their products as a result of which they, their families and communities benefit from increased and more secure incomes
- African producers increase their engagement in partnerships* and networks as a result of which they experience a measurable improvement in their competitiveness and access to market
- African producers and workers are increasingly engaged in influencing and advocacy as result of which they experience a measurable improvement in their ability to influence the terms of trade that affect them at national, regional and international level
- African workers are increasingly engaged in negotiations with employers and key stakeholders, resulting in a measurable improvement in their ability to realise their labour and human rights.
We are also interested in work which ensures consumers have an increased awareness of ethical and fair trade issues as a result of which the demand for ethically and fairly traded products increases.
*Partnerships are assumed here to include a range of organisations from the public and private sectors, including government.
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Where we will fund
The Trade programme will continue to focus on Africa. The Fair Development Fund in partnership with Sainsbury’s will primarily focus on Africa but will be open to projects from other developing countries.
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Who we will fund
The Trade programme will focus on small-scale producers and workers in global supply chains on the basis that these groups have the least power and the greatest need.
The programme's main target groups are primary and secondary producers who have limited access to market and a limited capacity to compete. The majority of these producers will be engaged in agriculture. We are also looking to support work addressing the needs and rights of workers, specifically groups of workers whose rights are undermined by global pressures on prices and who have limited capacity to organise, negotiate and seek better conditions.
We are also interested in supporting work which engages partners along the supply chain, whether in implementing countries or internationally, with a view that pressure from both ends of the value chain is most likely to lead to changes along that value chain that will benefit poor producers.