CEBU CITY – A Cebu-based retail brand vows to allocate a portion of their 90 outlets nationwide to the promotion of fair trade products.

Clothing and apparel brand Island Souvenirs has chosen to partner with the Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade Inc. (APFTI) and the Southern Partners for Fair Trade Corp. (SPFTC) to set up an “incubation venue” to display the latter’s fair trade products.

Fair Trade is a global movement aimed at alleviating poverty, providing opportunities to disadvantaged producers, ensuring fair and equitable working conditions, and helping address climate change while generating profits.

“We want to develop the cottage-type industry in the country,” said Island Souvenirs Inc. President Jay Aldeguer, adding that with the partnership of APFTI and SPFTC, the company will be able to help develop micro players, especially the farmers.

Starting this month, Island Souvenir stores will provide a display area for fair trade products such as bags and other processed food items, especially organic produce that will be supplied by fair trade members not just from Cebu but all over the country.

Aldeguer said Islands Souvenirs will also be coordinating closely with the Department of Trade and Industry to provide fair trade-member farmers and handicraft producers technical skills on how to market their products globally.

“If this endeavor becomes successful, we plan to make these fair trade members direct suppliers of Islands Souvenirs’ product requirements like clothes, hats, key chains, and other souvenir items,” Aldeguer said.

Earlier, APFTI opened the country’s first fair trade retail shop in Cebu, which is managed by SPFTC. It is the first of seven fair trade shop chains in the country.

“Our objective is to educate the 92 million Filipinos to patronize fair trade products and help in real economic development,” said Vicente Roaring, APFTI president and executive director.