On 19th October 2009, FTV organised a capacity building workshop for representatives of community-based enterprises from 11 different states in Venezuela. The workshop formed part of FTV’s project: “Fair Trade: Strategies to strengthen productive community enterprises in accordance with sustainable development”.
The workshop was a one-day capacity-building activity aimed at members of community-based enterprises (mostly cooperatives) that FTV is supporting. 27 participants, representing 17 community-based enterprises from 11 different states, took active part in the sessions.
The community-based enterprises ranged from an Indigenous Wayuu cooperative that produces traditional cloth and makes hammocks, traditional robes and colourful bags, to farming cooperatives in the Andes and in the states of Falcon and Sucre that produce organic products (among them, coffee, jams, herbal soaps, artisanal chocolate and honey). Other participating cooperatives produce a variety of traditional ceramics and pottery.
Participants received information, technical assistance and training in legal requirements, health, environmental and marketing issues associated with community businesses and small and medium size enterprises.
Edgardo Garcia Larralde of Living Earth (UK) delivered a presentation setting out the aims, features and dominant trends of the fair trade movement in the UK and Europe, which led to a question-and-answer session and a subsequent plenary discussion on options available for Venezuelan community-based enterprises. The event was considered a big success by participants.
FTV and the participating community-based enterprises subsequently organised a successful Christmas Fair on the weekend of 14 and 15 November in a large shopping mall in Caracas, at which the community products were sold.
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