The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Agency, Midrand, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fairtrade Africa to mobilize resources, facilitate Fairtrade activities in Africa, build capacity of producer organizations and support women in the Fair Trade business.

Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Agency, signed on behalf of NEPAD while Mr. Michael Kwame Nkonu, Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa, signed on behalf of Fairtrade Africa.

A statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday said following several consultations between the NEPAD Agency and Fairtrade Africa, both parties agreed to strengthen their partnership in support of Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) implementation.

It said through joint activities, NEPAD would be able to better access Fairtrade Africa’s extensive network in order to facilitate access of African smallholder farmers to high level markets by connecting producers and consumers, promoting fairer trading conditions and empowering producers to combat poverty. According to the statement, mainstreaming CAADP into Fairtrade would lead to the contribution of CAADP’s growth targets and agriculture-led development in Africa.

It noted that aligning the Fairtrade initiatives with NPCA’s value chain capacity development programme and the NEPAD Agri-business and Trade Promotion Strategy would help contribute towards the realizations of this year’s 18th AU Summit theme, “Boosting Intra-African Trade”.

“We need to change the way trade works in Africa. If we don’t trade amongst ourselves, we would not achieve the overall aim of Intra-African Trade,” it added.

It said Mr. Michael Kwame Nkonu, Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa, indicated that, “Intra-African trade is an area of potential growth during these times of global economic crisis.

"Fairtrade Africa is already bringing Fairtrade consumption to the African consumer market and this partnership with NEPAD will further help create access and hence transform the lives of Fairtrade farmers across the continent.”

Fairtrade represents the interest of Fairtrade certified producers in Africa and promotes their socio-economic development through trade.

In Africa, Fairtrade is working in 28 countries and with over 290 producer organizations, representing more than 600,000 individual farmers and workers who are involved in various value chains including coffee, cocoa, tea, vegetables, fruits, wine, cotton and seeds and nuts.