From cocoa produced in Côte d’Ivoire to pralines made in Namur: fair trade creates tangible links between producers and consumers.

Minister Maxime Prévot officially launched Fair Trade Week (October 7–17) with a visit to the Ethiquable Benelux cooperative, which sources its cocoa in part from the Ivorian Société coopérative Equitable du Bandama (SCEB), supported by Enabel’s Trade for Development Center. There, he toured Ethiquable’s brand-new chocolate workshop, where pralines are made from fair trade cocoa.In Côte d’Ivoire, SCEB is one of the cooperatives committed to addressing the challenges facing the cocoa sector. With Enabel’s support, it has been able to double its organic production and better prepare for European requirements regarding deforestation and child labor. 

“As Minister of Development Cooperation, I had the opportunity to travel to Côte d’Ivoire and visit cocoa plantations. It was a particularly memorable experience, because that is where one truly becomes aware of the conditions under which cocoa is grown, harvested, and processed. This experience further convinced me of the great added value of purchasing these products in a conscious and responsible manner, as they hold immense human value,” said the minister.

“That is why I believe it is important to continue this fight. Despite the pressures we face today, I am more convinced than ever that international cooperation is an essential part of a larger whole. We live in a highly interconnected world. What happens there has consequences here—and vice versa. A new edition of Fair Trade Week begins tomorrow, and I think this initiative is truly meaningful!” the minister concluded.
Check out the program for Fair Trade Week, coordinated by Enabel's Trade for Development Centre: https://semaineducommerceequitable.be/apercu-des-activites/

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