In 2008, the Consortium Creating Coherence was born. The consortium is made by NGOs and European organisations operating in the field of international cooperation, of fair trade and economy, in order to open new possibilities for a reflection about new policies on development and international trade, endorsed in the last years by the European Union and that look into their approach and their relations with development countries.

The context
The debate on trade policies and on policies of “Aid for trade” deriving from the first one, gives a chance to make innovative proposals in order to use trade in an efficacious way, supporting a more sustainable development model and which can virtually contribute to the eradication of poverty.
Several different economic experiences have emerged at a micro level, as a reaction to the crisis, in the field of: farmers’ agriculture, fair trade, renewable energy. These experiences are offering millions of people an opportunity to change their life condition and the planet’s. It is therefore crucial to open new visibility spaces towards public opinion, but also towards local and European institutions and the media, in order to show  all experiences and models of alternative policies and practices in cooperation, production, consumption and distribution. Those models represent a more efficacious way for poverty reduction, economic, social and environmental sustainability, in the South, but also in the North.
Trade can contribute to poverty reduction and to the promotion of a sustainable development, but only if contradictions within the present international trade model can be eliminated, and only if a new model will be developed, based on:

• Trade and policies respecting human rights, labours’ rights, in the South and in the North, and environmental standards;

• Rules of production, import and export assuring a sustainable life for producers and affordable prices for consumers;

• Respect for all the subjects involved (companies, cooperatives, small producers and civil society organisations) and care of the social and environmental consequences regarding them;

• Knowledge exchange, ability and technology benefiting from a carbon-neutral economy;

• decisional processes open to debate and to confront with citizens.

Objective of the project
The objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of European policies on development and trade, reorienting the action of European governments and the consumerism model towards approaches leading to development and trade regulations. Part of the objective is to give help addressed to the needs of the poor, with more efficacy in reaching the Millennium Goals.

I partner del Consorzio

Both ENDS, Olanda - www.bothends.org

FairWatch, Italia - www.faircoop.it

Védegylet/Protect the Future, Ungheria - www.vedegylet.hu

Xarxa de Consum Solidari, Spagna - www.xarxaconsum.net

Za Zemiata (For the Earth), Bulgaria - www.zazemiata.org