THAT WAS 2014
Discover what Oxfam Wereldwinkels and
Oxfam Fair Trade have achieved
We made a difference ...................................................................................................... 3
Change. Juice for juice. .................................................................................................. 3
The courage of youth ..................................................................................................... 3
Fair Trade@Home.......................................................................................................... 3
Give fair trade a try ......................................................................................................... 4
10 years of Fair Trade Towns ......................................................................................... 4
Fair trade schools ........................................................................................................... 4
You don’t have to be a saint to choose Oxfam ............................................................... 5
To label or not to label .................................................................................................... 5
Communications............................................................................................................. 6
A voice in the social debate ............................................................................................ 6
For the south, by the south, in the south ....................................................................... 8
The South on the political agenda .................................................................................. 8
Support for producers in need .......................................................................................10
Strengthening cooperatives ...........................................................................................10
Fair trade premium ........................................................................................................11
Volunteers .......................................................................................................................12
Solid volunteers .............................................................................................................12
Dedicated volunteers .....................................................................................................13
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Thank you, volunteers! ..................................................................................................13
Huge in Flanders ...........................................................................................................14
More than fair ..................................................................................................................15
Up with organic!.............................................................................................................15
Logistics 2.0 ..................................................................................................................17
Transport in the city .......................................................................................................17
Efficient and transparent................................................................................................17
Fair for staff ...................................................................................................................17
What are you buying in the fair trade shop? .................................................................20
Top 10 ...........................................................................................................................20
33 new products ............................................................................................................20
Wine specialist ..............................................................................................................20
Quality first ....................................................................................................................21
Tonnes of chocolate, litres of fruit juices ........................................................................22
Oxfam Fair Trade Crafts ................................................................................................22
Financial results .............................................................................................................23
Oxfam Wereldwinkels vzw: a positive result ..................................................................23
Oxfam Fair Trade cvba: best result in years ..................................................................24
With support from... ........................................................................................................26
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WE MADE A DIFFERENCE
CHANGE. JUICE FOR JUICE.
In October 2014, Oxfam Wereldwinkels exposed the unfair power relations in the orange
juice supply chain. This bitter-sweet story illustrates the consequences that unevenly
distributed power can have in a supply chain (see “Orange juice case study: protectionism
brought forth giants”).
10,184 people exchanged an empty juice package for a free bottle of Oxfam fruit juice on 11
October as part of the “Juice for Juice” campaign, sending a clear signal. Opting to buy a fair
trade fruit juice goes beyond just changing your juice brand. You’re helping Oxfam to initiate
a world-wide change.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels will continue to monitor developments in the fruit juice trade.
THE COURAGE OF YOUTH
Everybody knows that young people aren’t shy about making themselves heard. Oxfam
Wereldwinkels is happy to give them extra opportunities. Since 2014, we have had a full-time
staffer to support young people aged 16 to 26 in their work for a fairer world. The ‘Kabaal!’
project gives them practical help and budget funding, organises activities and training, and
increasingly visits to their universities as a guest lecturer.
Once again, more than seventy young people came together for the annual “Prikkel” training
weekend. They are making efforts to save the climate at the Paris climate conference and
ensuring their message is heard all across the country.
Student Marijke Doms from Mechelen: “The urge to kick against ‘the system’ affects young
people more often than older people. Younger people are bolder, but if you protest against
something, I think it is also important to be able to suggest a carefully considered
alternative."
FAIR TRADE@HOME
Bring the worldshop into your home! In the 2014 Fair Trade@Home initiative, 163 groups of
friends and associations invited an Oxfam volunteer to visit them, Tupperware style. That
introduced 2829 people to the concept of fair trade and allowed them to sample delicious
products. That represents an increase of over 200 more people than in 2013.
Our chocolate tasting is far and away the most popular session in the Fair Trade@Home
series, with more than 1640 people taking part. Our backers also included quite a few wine
connoisseurs, with 917 people doing a wine tasting in 2014.
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GIVE FAIR TRADE A TRY
On the move
Fair trade products can be found not only in Oxfam’s Wereldwinkels but also in around 200
catering businesses in Flanders and in Brussels. Sip a glass of fair trade wine in a café, have
a fair trade lunch in the company canteen or enjoy a fair trade breakfast during a weekend
away.
Fair trade everywhere
78,580 people had encounters with fair trade, our products and our story in May 2014.
During the days surrounding World Fair Trade Day, we took our campaign to 65 schools and
69 companies. In Fair Trade Week, 51 schools took part in our competition, involving a total
of 23,500 pupils.
Fair trade in pots and pans
Fair trade products call for fair trade meals. In 2014 we added lots of new recipes to our
database again, assisted by volunteers with a passion for cooking.
10 YEARS OF FAIR TRADE TOWNS
It’s been ten years since fair trade swept through our Flemish towns. On 7 September 2014,
we blew out the candles at a big party to celebrate the anniversary. The award of Fair Trade
Town status to the Belgian town of Oudenaarde marked another milestone: half of all
Flemish municipalities are now Fair Trade Towns.
Over a ten-year period, the collaboration between Oxfam Wereldwinkels, Vredeseilanden,
11.11.11 and Fairtrade Belgium (previously Max Havelaar) has succeeded in persuading
154 of the 308 municipal areas to roll up their sleeves and demonstrate that the Fair Trade
Town title was worthwhile. That means that 4,279,141 people in Flanders now live in a Fair
Trade Town.
Another 74 municipalities are also on their way to the title. And this success isn’t confined to
our country. Fair Trade Towns are flourishing in 25 countries, accounting for more than 1500
Fair Trade Towns worldwide.
FAIR TRADE SCHOOLS
Lunch with the teachers
Four times a year, Oxfam Wereldwinkels invites current teachers and trainee teachers to
spend a day immersed in fair trade. How do you start a fair trade shop at school? What about
the injustices in international trade? What materials can I use to incorporate fair trade into my
lessons? All these questions were answered during the teachers’ lunches.
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Shopping to learn and learning to shop
In 2014 there were 202 registered ‘Worldshops at School’. The actual number is very
probably higher, because we regularly hear of very active schools that do not register with
us. In 2014 the school projects were supported with a promotional wall plaque and T-shirts,
materials that school students are happy to use to show their commitment. Worldshops at
School can also turn to us for content support and tips for running campaigns at their school.
Year after year, schools with a Worldshop at School are fervent participants in our
campaigns in support of World Fair Trade Day and Fair Trade Week.
The fairest lasts longest
In 2014 we developed the digital teaching course ‘Eerlijk duurt het langst’ (the fairest lasts
longest) for the last couple years of primary school. This series of four or five lessons gives
pupils some insight into the issues of unfair global trade and its consequences for the
producer and the consumer. The lessons are interactive, as well as experience-driven where
possible. Pupils learn that there are many ways to respond to this global injustice.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A SAINT TO CHOOSE OXFAM
In November and December 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels organised their Oxfam gift days. To
draw attention to the initiative, we launched a striking photo campaign. Eight popular Flemish
personalities put on their most saintly attire and came out to have some fun under the allseeing lens of Lieve Blancquaert. Under the slogan ‘You don’t have to be a saint to choose
Oxfam’ they made it clear that the worldshop is a good choice for everyone’s Christmas
shopping. You can find Christmas presents to suit every preference and budget – while
helping a manufacturer in a developing country.
More than a hundred Wereldwinkel shops organised Oxfam gift days. They splashed out with
an extra range of smaller presents, presented not just on shop shelves, but also at temporary
shops in other locations. Many church halls, school canteens and cultural centres were
briefly transformed into supersized fair trade shops, full of photos of saints. In Kortrijk the fair
trade shop appropriately chose a church. And here and there pop-up shops sprang up, in
Genk for example. Volunteers said that they frequently heard customers in the pop-up shops
say, “I never realised that the fair trade shop had such nice things!”. Many of them have
since found their way to their permanent Wereldwinkel branch.
For Christmas and New Year’s, we promoted wine pairings from Chile, Argentina and South
Africa. This promotion led to an additional 10,000 litres of wine being sold, boosting wine
sales for our partners.
TO LABEL OR NOT TO LABEL
In May 2014 Oxfam Fair Trade decided to stop putting fair trade labels on its packaging. This
sort of label is often just a marketing tool. Of course we will be retaining the underlying
certification and associated checks. Research showed that very high consumer confidence in
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the Oxfam brand, so a fair trade label alongside the Oxfam logo was superfluous. In practice
this means that the Fairtrade label (formerly the Max Havelaar label) will gradually disappear
from all our packages.
COMMUNICATIONS
We are happy to keep you up to date with our activities and campaigns, our producers in the
South, our new products, promotions, recipes and so on. That’s why we are constantly
working to fine-tune our communications.
A few facts about 2014:
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More than 21,000 people read our digital newsletter every month, up 53 percent on
2013!
We distribute 1,055,900 copies of our quarterly FAIR magazine.
Since September you have been able to access our new website directly at
www.oxfamwereldwinkels.be. The site received 448,934 visitors, an average of
37,411 per month.
You had 1,192 opportunities to read, see or hear something about us in the Flemish
media.
At the end of 2014, our Facebook page had 11,386 likes, up from 6,821 at the end of
2013. Every day we reach an average of 3,620 people via this route.
A VOICE IN THE SOCIAL DEBATE
In 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels succeeded in getting its voice heard in the social debate, and
with it that of small-scale producers in the South, with various opinion pieces in the media,
radio interviews and live discussions. A few examples:
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Radio 1: interview on the Hautekiet show during Fair Trade Week
Radio 2: interview on Inspecteur Decaluwé about prawns from unfair trade
MVO Vlaanderen: interview/report about debate on transformation to sustainable
production chains
MO* Magazine and Het Belang van Limburg: opinion piece following elections
Kanaal Z: interview on injustice in the sugar trade
MO* Magazine: opinion piece on how fair trade brings hope in war-torn Kivu
‘De Schoonmoeder aller verkiezingen’ project – in the context of the elections, a
debate on food prices on 24 April 2014 (Ghent), with Stefaan Claeys, target group
operations coordinator for BBL, Arne Schollaert from Oxfam-Wereldwinkels, and
Geert De Rycke, a dairy farmer based near Ghent.
Belmundo project - reading and panel discussion on the future of our food. Towards a
fair and ecologically sound food system on 18 March 2014 (Ghent), with Tine Heyse,
responsible for Environment, Climate, Energy and North-South issues for the city of
Ghent, Tocoma Sy, strategies and prospects official for Caritas Kaolack in Senegal, a
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partner organisation of Broederlijk Delen, Arne Schollaert from Oxfam Wereldwinkels,
and Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on the right to food.
Zuidcafé debate series – debate on ‘products from the South, no thank you?’ on 7
October 2014 (Antwerp), with Bill Vorley, Anne-Marie Vangeenberghe and Bart
Thoelen.
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FOR THE SOUTH, BY THE SOUTH, IN THE
SOUTH
THE SOUTH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA
Oxfam-Wereldwinkels’ policy work in 2014
2014 is the year of ‘the mother of all elections’. Media and politicians spent all spring talking
about nothing else. On the subject of the South, their lips were sealed. Nonetheless, the
trade rules which we establish here have direct consequences for farmers in the South. But
their voice goes unheard.
Since unfair trade is first and foremost a political problem, it was left to Oxfam Wereldwinkels
to put the South on the political agenda. In its wake, thousands of citizens spoke out. Their
message: we vote for politicians who work for trade without unfair barriers. Trade which is a
lever for development, both here and in the South as well.
March: take the South Poll
During the Volunteer Week, coffee producer Laurent Bifabusha from DR Congo thanked the
Oxfam Wereldwinkels volunteers for all their excellent work. By selling free trade products
here in Flanders and promoting fairer international trade rules, they help build a future for
thousands of producers in the South.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels too thanked its volunteers. Inspired by the selfless efforts of some
8,000 people, the organisation donated €8,000 euro to the Partner Fund. This fund helps find
sustainable solutions to structural problems for our most vulnerable partners and intervenes
in serious and unexpected situations.
In the same context, Oxfam Wereldwinkels contemplated publicly on how nice it would be if
we could also thank our politicians, with the elections in sight. To thank them, because they
too were prepared to look beyond the borders of our small country here to people in the
South. Because it is those people in developing countries who have to deal with the
consequences of the political decisions which are taken here.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels calls on its supporters to make it clear to the politicians how important
they consider the South. Oxfam launched ‘Take the South Poll’, an online poll to popularise
this important issue.
Thousands of citizens signed the South Poll petition, as did more than five hundred political
candidates, demonstrating their concern about the way that unfair international trade leaves
people behind. And they promised to give the South a place in their political work if they were
elected... because that is what their voters are asking them to do.
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May: the mother of all elections
In 2014, World Fair Trade Day was just before the Flemish, federal and European elections.
Expectations were running high for the results of the 25 May elections. To make the most of
that moment, Oxfam Wereldwinkels went all-out for World Fair Trade Day on 10 May.
The ‘Take the South Poll’ campaign went out onto the streets: all across Flanders,
Wereldwinkel volunteers built polling booths. There they asked citizens and politicians to
back Oxfam’s call to put the South on the political agenda! The unfair situation of sugar
producers in Paraguay persuaded many to agree (see “Handel in suiker: een ongelijk
speelveld voor het Zuiden” [The sugar trade: an un-level playing field for the South]).
Behind the scenes, Oxfam Wereldwinkels partnered with organisations from the South to
visit some influential politicians, because the existing rules of the international trade game
are hampering the development of various regions in the South. Rich countries protect their
own interests and make it very difficult for producers in the South to access the international
market. Oxfam Wereldwinkels is calling for the removal of these unnecessary trade barriers.
In a talk with Andrés Gonzalez Aguilera of Oxfam’s sugar producer Manduvirà from
Paraguay, two MEPs already expressed tangible hopes. After the elections, they wanted to
work on fairer trade rules. With the support of these Belgian politicians backing him on the
issue, Andrés Gonzalez Aguilera now commanded more attention from politicians in his own
country.
October: a new parliamentary year
Right after the Fair Trade Week, the elected politicians were back at work. At the first
question time in Parliament, Oxfam Wereldwinkels were on the spot immediately. The
organisation reminded them of the hope that they expressed before the elections – the hope
of bringing in fairer trading rules.
A team of Oxfam staff and volunteers visited Parliament. Addressing the parliamentary
parties, they mapped out the pattern of unfair global trade and its consequences. Speaking
out on behalf of a voice that usually goes unheard at the negotiating table calls for courage
from a politician. For that reason, Oxfam let the MPs know that 8,000 volunteers were
wholeheartedly standing behind them as they worked on fairer trading rules.
These four Oxfam representatives also convinced some politicians to literally put all their
cards on the table for international trade. In the parliamentary reading room, they played a
specially designed card game: a game with unfair rules, like the world trade system. Even in
Parliament itself, we saw lots of goodwill for fair trade: various parties put their cards on the
table straight away.
And now?
Now it is up to the politicians. Oxfam Wereldwinkels looks forward to seeing their initiatives to
increase fairness in international trade and will remind them of their good intentions in due
time.
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SUPPORT FOR PRODUCERS IN NEED
Some of our producer groups are operating in such difficult circumstances that extra support
is more than welcome. This is why we have the Partner Fund.
In 2014 the Partner Fund backed a new project with the Coopasa cocoa cooperative in Côte
d’Ivoire. The investment aims to help this young and optimistic producer group to improve the
quality of their cocoa, to be able to sell more easily on the local and international market, to
improve its organisational structure and to achieve fair trade certification for its cocoa. The
final aim is to strengthen the cooperative and its members, so that they are prepared to make
the choices that the international market will demand of them. We are also looking at how we
can eventually process this cocoa into our chocolate. The project started in 2014 with a
budget of €15,000. Together with Oxfam America, we will certainly be continuing to build on
this project until the end of 2016.
The Partner Fund also makes continuous investments in ongoing projects with the Ankole
coffee producer’s union in Uganda, the Sopacdi coffee cooperative in Congo, the Lao
Farmers’ Products tea and rice cooperative in Laos, and Del Campo sesame seed producers
in Nicaragua.
STRENGTHENING COOPERATIVES
By organising, farmers can get more done than they ever could alone. Brought together in
cooperatives, they share risks and improve their bargaining position, both to earn more with
their products and to influence international trade policy. Oxfam Wereldwinkels therefore
supports these organisations, because strong organisations are the best guarantee of
sustainable development for producers.
Farmers in power
In 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels shared its experience with cooperatives all over the world in
numerous information sessions for producers. By advising them about the obstacles faced by
every cooperative – anywhere in the world – we give them the knowledge to be able to
establish strong cooperative links themselves. We give them a solid toolbox that they can
use to overcome the possible obstacles. It is crucial for all members of a cooperative to
understand fully what a cooperative could mean for them, and above all what it expects of
them in return.
Oscar Kubisibwa of the Congolese coffee cooperative RAEK has already taken the members
of his cooperative in hand, as you can see in the interview at
www.oxfamwereldwinkels.be/raek (in French, with Dutch subtitles). While visiting Belgium in
September 2014, Oscar Kubisibwa also told our volunteers about his experiences. In the
interim, cooperation with Oxfam has already had tangible benefits for RAEL. In autumn 2015
they will start selling their coffee on the international market for the first time. Just around the
corner in your local fair trade shop!
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The rice and tea growers that belong to Lao Farmers’ Products in Laos also took training
courses on the importance of mutual cooperation.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels are also encouraging two cooperatives, Muungano and Sopacdi,
which operate in the same region of DR Congo, to join forces to deal with buyers and thus
avoid competing with each other.
Financial advice
At the Montillo sugar cooperative in Paraguay, we invested in commercial and technical
training for the entire board of directors of the cooperative in 2014. They were trained in
finance and bookkeeping, so that they could work on their business plan with a better
understanding of business practices. An Oxfam Wereldwinkels staff member has been
providing day-to-day guidance since then.
This all falls within the ‘Red Montillo’ project. In 2014, the project also financed the crane
which makes the sugar collection centre much more efficient. This project will certainly
continue to run intensively until the end of 2015.
FAIR TRADE PREMIUM
In 2014 these fair trade premiums went to the producers in our most important product
groups:
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Coffee partners: €300,000
Wine partners: €90,000
The La Riojana wine growers in Argentina are investing in an agricultural school, for
example.
Fruit juice partners: €42,700
Sugar partners: €15,000
In recent years, the Manduvirá sugar producers in Paraguay have been investing in
their own sugar refinery.
We paid more fair trade premiums than in 2013. This is because we purchased more, while
the increase can in part also be explained by exchange rate fluctuations (conversion from
dollar to euro).
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VOLUNTEERS
At the end of 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels had 207 recognised volunteer groups, operating
235 fair trade shops. This is around the same as a year ago. 7,899 volunteers give up some
of their free time in order to work to promote fairer world trade – and often to make a point
about our society too. Their contributions are made in numerous ways.
Volunteers do their bit in every imaginable field. Most of them work in a local fair trade shop
and keep the shop open, organise campaigns or keep the accounts. But did you know that
there are more and more volunteers working at the Oxfam Wereldwinkels head office? There
are already nineteen of them. So we have a volunteer handyman, volunteers at reception,
volunteer website builders, a volunteer inventing recipes, volunteer translators... and a
volunteer consultant even supervised the removal of our entire warehouse.
Our volunteers also forge links with other organisations: 165 fair trade groups work in the
municipalities alongside 11.11.11, and 48 work with Vredeseilanden, while 175 are members
of the Municipal Council for Development Cooperation and 76 groups collaborate with a
youth organisation. These figures are similar to those for 2013.
SOLID VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are the rock upon which Oxfam Wereldwinkels is built. Solid volunteers create a
strong organisation. That’s why we look after our volunteers by providing a tailored range of
training and information.
Volunteer training
From ‘fair trade for beginners’ to ‘how does our check-out program work’ and ‘what’s wrong
with the orange juice supply chain’: there are many training courses that teach and inspire
our shop workers. We had 3,816 course attendances in 2014. Many of these took place at
the Oxfam Fair Forum in September. The most popular courses concerned the Oxfam Gift
Days, Oxfam Wereldwinkels’ analysis of international trade, and in particular the injustice in
the juice supply chain. Tom Wouters, head of the volunteer movement, is satisfied: “It’s really
brilliant that so many people are prepared to come and listen on a sunny September
afternoon to what at first seems like a complex story about juice from Brazil.” In 2014, 770
volunteers took part in a training day at the regional level. That is a record. However, there
has been a drop in attendance for training courses that can be requested by the fair trade
shops themselves, with 954 attendances.
Online information platform
To supplement the training we offer, we are also working to provide a better information
platform for our volunteers. To this end, the needs of volunteers were analysed in 2014; the
platform will be built and commissioned in 2015.
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DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS
Oxfam Wereldwinkels belongs to its volunteers. At various policy levels and in various
committees and groups, they give the organisation shape and direction. They sit on the
Board of Directors, the General Meeting or one of the specialist committees (partnerships,
sales and marketing, volunteering), and take part in decisions about policy, public
campaigns, cooperation with producers and so on.
Our volunteers are our best ambassadors. They persuade their friends and families how
important of fair trade is and approach local authorities to encourage them to choose Oxfam
products. Some go even further, and lobby national politicians alongside our professionals.
Arne Schollaert, head political policy officer: “Our volunteer Patrick rescheduled his holidays
not once but three times so he could come along to Parliament with us.” Now that’s
dedication!
Strengthening ties
In 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels organised a volunteer satisfaction survey, in collaboration with
Vrije Universiteit Brussel. One in seven volunteers took part (1,200 respondents). What did
the survey show? In comparison with volunteers working for comparable organisations, fair
trade shop volunteers are very motivated by the mission of the organisation and are very
loyal. In return, they expect to receive robust support from the national organisation. For this
reason, Oxfam Wereldwinkels has developed even closer ties between the national and local
levels. The Movement committee was established to support these efforts, and more has
been done to encourage stronger links between fair trade shops in the same region. 2015
has seen the creation of a new newsletter for volunteers. There has also been ongoing
improvements to the training programme.
Meetings
The first Oxfam Fair Forum in September 2014 was a high point for involvement in the
movement. Some 800 people enjoyed an event full of meetings, training, inspiration and
motivation. The second such event will take place on 12 September 2015. Supporters who
are not volunteers are also welcome!
THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
Every year during Volunteers Week in early March, we reward our 8,000 volunteers. Often
they receive a token of appreciation from the national secretariat. But in 2014 we took a
different approach. Our volunteers received a video message from Laurent, one of our coffee
producers in Congo, thanking them for moving mountains.
And instead of giving each of our volunteers a gift, the allocated budget of one euro per
volunteer went to the Partner Fund.
Our volunteers thought this was the best gift in years:
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“It feels really good to be thanked for your efforts like that. So much better than a little
gift in kind.” Hilda, volunteer at the Oxfam Wereldwinkel in Geel.
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“Thank you very much; it’s really good to read and hear about!” Oxfam Wereldwinkel
team, Sint-Job-in-‘t-Goor
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“As far as I’m concerned, you and all of you over there in Ghent deserve an Oscar for
a message that goes straight to a volunteer’s heart! And €8,000 for the Partner Fund:
we couldn’t imagine a better gift under these circumstances! Brilliant!” Lieve,
volunteer in the Oxfam Wereldwinkel in Zemst
HUGE IN FLANDERS
The number of fair trade shops in Flanders remained the same. You’ll find our 235 sales
points both in large towns and in the countryside. We found that in 2014 the fair trade shops
in the large towns did not always have an easy time of it. Oxfam Wereldwinkels Brussels and
Oxfam Wereldwinkel Antwerp struggled, relying on extra support from the national Belgian
Oxfam Wereldwinkels organisation.
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MORE THAN FAIR
UP WITH ORGANIC!
Organic and fair trade make an ideal pairing. As was demonstrated by the organic-and-fairtrade shopping bag that became a collector’s item in no time at all in June 2014.
Why organic and fair trade go so well together
In recent years, June has always been organic month in the Oxfam Wereldwinkels. It’s an
opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainable production methods for us and our
partners. Although many of our producers find it difficult to meet the rigid certification
requirements, they nevertheless often do their utmost to attain the organic label for their
products, because consumers are prepared to pay more for organic food. And at the same
time, organic is these small-scale producers’ answer to the dominant model of agriculture.
Who pays the bill?
Our agriculture is usually large-scale, quasi-industrial in its approach, devouring absurd
quantities of energy and water. There is a widespread and enthusiastic use of chemicals
which exhaust the soil and jeopardise crop quality, not to mention the social cost in terms of
public health. These costs are not accounted for in the production process, because they are
transferred to society and the environment.
And these external costs are climbing alarmingly.
Both energy and water are increasingly scarce and expensive. Where a few decades ago
ingenious irrigation techniques still brought some degree of alleviation, access to water is
now reaching its limits. Increasingly often, a ‘hard limit’ is reached, making water shortages a
real danger.
The instability brought about by climate change makes large-scale monoculture the most
risky route to take for global food production.
The effectiveness of agro-chemicals on exhausted farmlands is declining sharply. The use of
chemicals has to be increased systematically just to keep production at the current level. At
the same time, beneficial soil organisms and biodiversity have already dropped below
dangerous thresholds.
We have to take these costs into account in assessing our existing agricultural model as we
make choices for the future.
Time for fair agriculture
Discussions on the new sustainable development goals (SDGs) will start in September 2015.
Sustainability will be key. What if we were to adjust our goals for agriculture to reflect our
desire to maintain a habitable planet, and tax everything that does not meet maximum
standards for environmentally friendly practices, whether it was produced inside or outside
the EU? It shouldn’t be all that difficult to make agriculture that consumes unsustainable
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quantities of energy, water and pesticides less profitable than agriculture that is adapted to
the actual capacity of our planet.
A legislative framework that puts a price on the enormous environmental and social damage
caused by large-scale monocultures has long passed from being a nice idea to an absolute
necessity. Only thus can we give a sustainable model of agriculture a real chance in the
international market. This would benefit our own sustainable farmers. And it would give the
small-scale producers in the South the comparative advantage that they are entitled to, and
in which we have a shared interest.
But policy makers are still looking the other way, and passing on the bill to our children.
Sustainable trade?
Charging the actual costs of large-scale agriculture is only half of the story.
If we adapt our agricultural and production processes through the SDGs, we must also
ensure that the fruits of international trade are accessible to countries that most urgently
need this economic driver. Trade remains the best guarantee of sustainable development.
We can seize this historic opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: choosing sustainable
agriculture while facilitating fair trade.
If we wean our agriculture from its absurd reliance on subsidies and simultaneously open our
market to anything – regardless of provenance – that has been produced with respect for
future generations, we will undoubtedly come somewhat closer to our goals.
This approach would allow us to conserve public resources on a massive scale. By
exchanging every hectare of inefficient sugar beets with a crop which does thrive here, our
own farmland will be used more intelligently. In addition, producers in the developing South
would seize the opportunities offered by the international market with both hands.
And so a possible future emerges: one in which we treat our nature with understanding and
simultaneously make life better for many people who are currently mere playthings, subject
to the whims of a failing market.
Organic foods in high demand
40% of the food products in the Oxfam Wereldwinkels are certified organic. This percentage
remained unchanged in 2014 and accounts for 30% of turnover.
Some important products, like our Lake Kivu coffee and black Ceylon tea, have carried the
organic label since 2014. Organic palm oil will be used in our chocolate spread in future and
the new organic chocolates launched in the autumn are selling like hot cakes in the fair trade
shops.
In 2014 we worked hard with our partner producers at Lao Farmers’ Products in Laos to
obtain certification for their loose green tea. The organic version will appear in fair trade
shops very shortly. Organic certification is also in the pipeline for looseleaf black tea and rice
from this producers’ organisation.
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LOGISTICS 2.0
In June 2014 the Oxfam Fair Trade warehouse moved from Destelbergen to Wondelgem – a
huge task successfully supervised by a volunteer consultant along with the logistics staff and
an internal coordination team.
The new warehouse has a larger storage capacity, but is two thousand square metres
smaller than the old one. We are therefore storing our inventory in higher stacks, which calls
for a new way of working.
The part of the warehouse where we store chocolate is equipped with a system that
maintains the area at a constant ideal temperature, between 12 and 18 degrees. This
enables us to control the quality of the product better.
Some supply and IT problems seemed unavoidable, but thanks to thorough preparation the
move was a success. In logistic terms, Oxfam Fair Trade entered a new era in 2014: our
exceptionally efficient logistics are all set for the future.
TRANSPORT IN THE CITY
We are constantly investigating how we can organise transport from the Wondelgem
warehouse to the fair trade shops and other business customers in a more efficient and
therefore more sustainable manner. By way of a test, in 2014 Oxfam Fair Trade worked for
the first time with an organisation that takes care of ‘last mile delivery’. Oxfam delivers all the
orders for a given town to this organisation, which in turn takes the orders to Oxfam’s
customers. This is more efficient, because the orders can be transported locally by small
delivery vehicles and combined with deliveries to other businesses.
EFFICIENT AND TRANSPARENT
In 2014 we took a number of initiatives to enable us to work in a more efficient and
transparent manner. We conducted new policies, procedures and process analyses, or
improved the existing ones.
This also demonstrated its value in our reporting to subsidy providers. Establishing annual
reports for the subsidy providers now takes place in a more structured, efficient manner. In
2014 we received a positive assessment after follow-up checks by the federal authorities
(DGD) on our operations in 2011 and 2012.
FAIR FOR STAFF
Diversity
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In 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels|Fair Trade made extra efforts to offer all their staff appropriate
training and courses. We also looked at the way in which new colleagues are welcomed. The
HR department established a detailed procedure so every new staff member will be assigned
a mentor.
Diversity in the workforce is also important. Oxfam is therefore providing individual language
training at work for four staff members whose Dutch could be improved. That helps them to
communicate better with their colleagues, but it has a further impact, helping them to
navigate through society more effectively.
Fair wages
The pay differential between the staff who earn most and those who earn least is somewhat
less than the national average in our organisation. Based on gross monthly income, the
wage multiplier at Oxfam Fair Trade is 1.78 and at Oxfam Wereldwinkels 1.83.
What does that mean?


Oxfam Fair Trade: a staff member in the top ten percent of earners receives 1.78
times more than a staff member in the bottom ten percent of earners.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels: a staff member in the top ten percent of earners receives 1.83
times more than a staff member in the bottom ten percent of earners.
The wage multiplier in an average Belgian firm is 2.63.
Welcome and goodbye
In 2014 the team at Oxfam Fair Trade cvba welcomed ten new colleagues, nine of whom
have employment contracts for an indefinite period. Eleven people left. In 2014 Oxfam
Wereldwinkels vzw took on eight new staff members, seven for an indefinite period. Four
people left the organisation. The additional employees are a youth worker, an employee to
support volunteers, and two workers from the Fair Trade Towns campaign who were on the
payroll of Fairtrade Belgium until 2013.
Train, tram, bike!
Only 22 of the 92 people working for Oxfam Wereldwinkels and Oxfam Fair Trade go to work
by car. 28 people use public transport and 36 cycle, often using a company bike. OxfamWereldwinkels|Fair Trade are frugal with company cars: 6 staff members, representatives
and regional coordinators supporting local volunteers travel using a hybrid company car.
Company bikes
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Since autumn 2014, 32 workers at our Ghent office use a company bike for work. They
chose a town bike, a sports bike, a folding bike or an electric bike. All undertook to travel to
work at least four days out of five by bike. Many of them were already keen cyclists. They
now enjoy an additional benefit that surpasses required measures. Others take their Oxfam
folding bike on the train. And some have even exchanged the car for the bike.
Among them is Magalie Schotte from the policy department: “A few years ago I left Ghent
city centre and moved ‘out’. It’s fantastic to live surrounded by nature, but the public transport
isn’t always ideal. After that I started driving to work. When Oxfam Wereldwinkels offered its
staff the chance to sign up for the work-home cycle project, I was really keen to accept. I
lease an electric bike now and every day I ride 16 km there and 16 km back. The bike rides
are fabulous, completely different from sitting in a car on the motorway in a queue like
sardines in a tin. I only ‘lose’ 25 minutes a day. In the morning I arrive at work with a clear
head and in the evening I know exactly when I’ll get home. We decided to sell one of our two
cars. Combined with the cycle allowance I get now, it’s a serious saving on our household
spending. Even though I’ve certainly had some very cold moments on the bike, I’d
recommend it to anyone. It’s good for you, good for your employer and last but not least, it’s
good for nature in our country.”
This bike project is a collaboration with TransFair (Ateljee), a professional cycle workshop
that employs people who have limited opportunities in the labour market.
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WHAT ARE YOU BUYING IN THE FAIR TRADE
SHOP?
We buy a lot of the products in your Oxfam Wereldwinkel directly from producers in the
South. The fair trade shops carry products bearing our own Oxfam Fair Trade trademark and
other brands. This includes foods, but also a wide range of original decorative items,
tableware, textiles, toiletries and toys.
TOP 10
Oxfam’s top ten best sellers in 2014
1. Dessert coffee 250 g
2. Orange juice 1 l.
3. Organic wine - La Posada Torrontes 75 cl
4. Orange juice 20 cl
5. Wine - Sauvignon blanc 75 cl
6. Organic decaffeinated coffee 250 g
7. Wine - Chenin blanc 75 cl
8. Organic Highland coffee 250 g
9. Paprika yuka chips 50 g
10. Wine - Lautaro sauvignon blanc 75 cl
This top ten was compiled from the Oxfam Wereldwinkels turnover figures.
33 NEW PRODUCTS
In 2014 we launched 33 new products. Have you tried the Guava shake, the Chocolate
Crunchy balls or our sparkling rosé? There are some new additions to our organic product
range too.
WINE SPECIALIST
At Oxfam Wereldwinkels we constantly monitor our range: what products do we carry in the
fair trade shop, and which do we offer under our Oxfam Fair Trade trademark?
In 2014 we fine-tuned our wine range, on the basis of tastings we conducted with wine
experts, specialist journalists and sommeliers. And the results were positive: we have had a
number of good reviews. The wines also make a healthy contribution to our turnover.

Torrontes Reserva 2011 ✪✪✪✪ “The reserva is strikingly bright, with intense
aromas of ripe peach, pineapple, jasmine, melon and citrus. Outstanding with Eastern
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




dishes that are not too spicy.” Simonne Wellekens in De Standaard Magazine of 25
January 2014
Malbec Reserva 2011 ✪✪✪✪ “The flavour is smooth, spicy, and elegant, with a
medium body that has enjoyable wood and a lingering spiciness. Good with stews
and grilled red meat.” Simonne Wellekens in De Standaard Magazine of 25 January
2014
Fuego Sagrado Chardonnay 2012 ✪✪✪✪ “Very supple in the mouth, well
balanced, good concentration, soft finish, pleasant length. Harmonious wine.” Dirk
Rodriguez in De Morgen Magazine of 15 March 2014
Raza Syrah Gran Reserva 2010 ✪✪✪✪ “New-world style: lots of wood,
concentrated, jammy autumn fruit. Smooth and creamy on the tongue, return of
autumn fruits on the palate, structured, harmonious.” Dirk Rodriguez in De Morgen
Magazine of 15 March 2014
Raza Torrontés Brut ✪✪✪ “Fine bubbles, aromatic nose, apples, Muscat, a hint of
cider. Soft, round and easy in the mouth, soft finish. A pleasant sparkling wine for a
sunny terrace.” Dirk Rodriguez in De Morgen Magazine of 15 March 2014
Groot Eiland Shiraz-Pinotage 2011 ✪✪✪ “Supple onset in the mouth, medium
concentration, ripe black fruit, good tannin. Modern, elegant wine.” Dirk Rodriguez in
De Morgen Magazine of 15 March 2014
QUALITY FIRST
Strict standards
The time when you only bought a fair trade product to support the producer is long past. Any
product that fails to meet expectations for quality, safety and taste does not make it onto the
fair trade shop shelves. Therefore, in 2014 a number of our successful products disappeared
from our range: after continuing quality problems, we decided not to carry Noussine
chocolate bonbons any more. It was a difficult decision, because there was nothing wrong
with the taste or the safety of the chocolates. The problem was purely to do with their
appearance: the bonbons sometimes had a whitish ‘fat bloom’ instead of a glossy brown
exterior. This is a common phenomenon with chocolate products, but customers will not
accept a product that has that whitish cast to it. At the end of the year, the unsold chocolates
went to the food bank.
Mentoring producers
For many of our products, it is important to have an internationally accepted certificate of
quality. These certificates guarantee that the producer has a proper quality system and
meets the requirements of customers who have very high standards. They therefore need it
in order to attract more international customers. But obtaining certification is a long process:
you have to set up a risk analysis system, make adjustments to the production chain
(harvest, processing, packaging etc.), and organise intensive training for the producers.
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To introduce this kind of system, most businesses call on expensive consultancies. At
Oxfam, the quality department looks for local professionals via volunteer platforms (for
example Exchange), who will work for producers in the South during their holidays at no cost.
An example is the quality missions to Apropal, our palm heart producer in Peru. One such
mission was prepared in 2014 and quality professionals visited Apropal in January 2015.
Sometimes producers have a greater need for long-term mentoring. Then we work together
with Flemish food technology students who do their Master’s thesis on location with
producers in the South. In 2014 the tea chain in Laos (Lao Farmers’ Products) was analysed
and improved using this approach. It was an excellent example of cross-pollination between
the university or college, the producer organisation and the Oxfam Fair Trade quality
department – and a fascinating experience for the Master’s students who can demonstrate
considerable experience and independence on their CV.
As well as helping producers to obtain quality certification, Oxfam works with them to find
other ways of increasing their sales on the international market. If the producer in the South
cannot package its product in accordance with international requirements to produce an end
product, for example because of technical limitations, we simply opt to buy the unprocessed
or unpackaged product. Oxfam then converts it into a finished product in collaboration with a
European processor or packager. This means that a producer who is awaiting e.g. its own
packaging installation can still generate income and acquire export experience.
TONNES OF CHOCOLATE, LITRES OF FRUIT JUICES
In 2014, the fair trade shops bought 600 tonnes of coffee, 1.4 million litres of fruit juice and
180 tonnes of chocolate from Oxfam Fair Trade.
Fruit juice sales received a boost in October through the ‘Juice for Juice’ package exchange
campaign in Fair Trade Week.
OXFAM FAIR TRADE CRAFTS
Since 2012 we have been redesigning the fair trade shops one by one. In this new retail
concept, handcrafted products take a more central role. In 2014 the Belgian division of our
supplier, Fair Trade Original, was offered for sale. We had enjoyed many years of
collaboration with this partner, and it seemed a logical step to integrate it into Oxfam Fair
Trade. The takeover of Fair Trade Original by Oxfam Fair Trade took place in 2014 and
integration should be completed by 2016. This will enhance Oxfam’s ability to present an
attractive selection of handcrafted products in the fair trade shops.
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FINANCIAL RESULTS
OXFAM WERELDWINKELS VZW: A POSITIVE RESULT
We were able to close the 2014 financial year with a final gain of €33,990. In 2014 we
recorded 10% less revenue than originally estimated. That was mainly due to the fact that we
spent less than expected within the DGD subsidy programme, leading to a proportionate
drop in earnings from those subsidies.
Total payroll costs were a little lower than anticipated. The increase over 2013 relates to the
addition of Fair Trade Towns campaign staff to our workforce in 2014, whereas they were
previously on the payroll of Fairtrade Belgium.
Operating costs remained around 20% below budget. There were a number of exceptional
gains. Half of the profit was allocated to ‘Social Liabilities’ (an emergency fund for temporary
payment of staff in the event that the organisation ceasures operations) and the rest to
earmarked funds (the reserves of the non-profit association; the general meeting decides
how they will be spent).
Oxfam Wereldwinkels vzw expenses
Oxfam Wereldwinkels vzw income
DGD subsidies (federal government)
€795,675
Total payroll costs
€1,588,004
Other subsidies (11.11.11, provincial subsidies, adult
socio-cultural work, etc.)
€661,937
Total DGD operating budget
€424,525
Total non-DGD operating budget
€717,126
Total expenses 2014
€2,729,654
Total expenses 2013
€2,862,178
Net result 2014
€33,991
Net result 2013
€168,712
Fair trade fee from Oxfam Fair Trade
€791,155
Marketing fees (Oxfam Fair Trade, Fair Trade Original,
Oxfam Magasins du Monde, new food suppliers)
€146,229
Other income
€254,276
Oxfam Fair Trade subsidy for local personnel
€185,000
Total income 2014
€2,834,272
Total income 2013
€3,067,914
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OXFAM FAIR TRADE CVBA: BEST RESULT IN YEARS
We concluded the 2014 fiscal year with a turnover for food products and the sale of raw
materials amounting to €20,129,612. This is a good three percent lower than the turnover in
the previous fiscal year.
The operating result before tax and profit appropriations stood at €288,190, around six
percent of equity. For the second successive year, this represented a sound financial result.
Category C shareholders (shareholders without voting rights, mainly private individuals)
received a dividend of two percent. €1000 had to be added to the statutory reserves. The
result carried forward stands at €282,960.
Sales
Sales in the Oxfam Wereldwinkels network were unchanged. Those shops which had been
adapted to the new retail concept showed encouraging growth, but the other shops recorded
a drop in sales. 2014 was a particularly difficult year for the fair trade shops in Antwerp and
Brussels.
Sales to retailers grew, while those to EFTA partners, other export customers and Oxfam
Magasins du Monde declined. We concluded the year with a higher profit margin than
expected, 28.25 percent. This is because when setting our prices, we anticipated rises in raw
materials and dollar prices which did not ultimately occur. Our costs remain well under
control.
Another factor influencing the result is our new approach to how Oxfam gift certificates are
processed. Starting in 2014, we only record profits from gift certificates that are not spent in
stores when we know this sum exactly, whereas until 2013 we accounted for an estimated
gain which was subsequently adjusted. We are currently in transition between the old and
new methods, which has an adverse impact on the financial result.
Investments and loans
2014 was a turning point in terms of investments. Up to and including 2013, amortisation fell
annually. As of 2014 it has begun to rise. This means that the organisation is investing more.
These investments are primarily in logistics, specifically the new warehouse in Wondelgem.
Thanks to the many Respect+ loans provided by our supporters in 2013, we were able to
borrow considerably less from financial institutions in 2014. This improved our liquidity and
reduced our loan-related expenses. For example, we were able to pay a higher proportion of
pre-financing to our partner producers from our own resources.
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Oxfam Fair Trade cvba income
Oxfam Wereldwinkels
€8,784,107
Wholesale sales, Flanders
€2,705,999
Wholesale sales, Wallonia
€261,663
External customers – retail
€2,676,304
Oxfam Magasins du Monde
€1,701,027
Intercompany sales (samples and
sponsoring, etc.)
€78,328
Export to EFTA partners
€2,306,934
Non-commercial customers
€51,617
Export to others
€862,899
Sale of raw materials
€824,444
Total earnings 2014
€20,129,612
Total income 2013
€20,836,542
Oxfam Fair Trade cvba expenses
General expenditures (printing
costs, analysis costs, excise
duties, processors, etc.
-€14,443,987
Contributions (fair trade fee,
Oxfam Wereldwinkels marketing
contribution, etc.)
-€1,281,705
Total payroll costs
-€2,603,831
Total operating budget
-€1,286,960
Operating result
€574,301
Total amortisation
-€169,070
Net result 2014
€288,190
Net result 2013
€226,764
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WITH SUPPORT FROM...
In 2014 Oxfam Wereldwinkels received subsidies from:
-
11.11.11: €146,380.62
-
Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD): €795,675.16
-
Socio-Cultural Work Agency (SCW): €137,372.63
-
Flemish Agency for International Cooperation (VAIS): €47,096.47
-
Flemish Brabant Province: €37,023.08
-
Limburg Province: €5,641.23
-
East Flanders Province: €5,200
-
Antwerp: €10,000
-
West Flanders Province: €5,000
And many local authorities. Many thanks!
View photos and videos at
www.oxfamwereldwinkels.be/jaarverslag
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