Semester 2 Assignment 1b

The first part of the assignment required taking a Vark test to see which type of learner I was.

My results were as follows:

Activist - Low, Reflector - moderate, Theorist - Low , Pragmatist - low.

This showed that I am mainly a reflector when learning, which is the one I predicted for myself before taking the test. I was quite surprised by only being a moderate reflector as I feel I like to take my time over different tasks and collect more than enough information before reaching an outcome, especially in my design practice. I like to hear what other people have to say before I express my own ideas and opinions, especially in group discussions. I tend to observe others and their ways of working. I enjoy and appreciate projects when there are no tight deadlines involved, as I tend to panic when there is pressure to finish something or when given a task without much notice or preparation time. At the end of a project I like to see where I can make improvements.
I am definitely not a pragmatist as I am not usually keen to try out new things straight away.

After taking the Vark test, I had to meet with the rest of the team to discuss my results and predict what type of learner each of them is.

The team result was as follows:

4 Activists
2 Reflectors
1 Theorist

There are a variety of learner types within the group which is an advantage when carrying out team projects and discussions. This probably allows us to work well together, making us quite efficient as a team. As we have a mixture of learning styles each person can contribute as we have different ways of approaching things. There are no pragmatists, but I feel as a group we are able to adapt our ways of learning to suit the joint task to help us achieve something which might have to be approached in a different way. I sometimes have to alter my approach depending on the type of brief. My latest brief was very different, which challenged my research methods and usual ways of thinking, so I had to adapt to suit the task.

Everyone in the group had to predict what type of learner each of us was. Some of the results were quite surprising and we realised we didn't know each other as well as we thought we did.

I think the group will be able to understand each others’ ways of thinking more as we continue to work together on future tasks.

Second Summary

Brown, M. B., (1993). Fair Trade; Reform and Realities in the International Trading System. New Jersey: Zed Books Ltd

The Division of World Resources between Rich and Poor

There is currently an unequal world, where the division between the North and South is remarkable, with industrialised land in the North and a much poorer underdeveloped world in the south – ‘The Third World’. The point the author is making is: How much can current trade practices be changed to benefit all in the future? Can world resources be saved and economic and environmental sustainability be maintained? The author explains that most of the world’s resources come from the developed world and only non-renewable resources are being produced in the third world. World population is huge, with the majority of people living in third world countries. Those people occupy only just over half the cultivable land, explaining why they are probably so poor.

The author states that the problems they are facing now could be a result of the population growing too fast for the amount of land that is actually occupied and cultivated and this problem could increasingly worsen. Some developed nations could have the best, although less, cultivable land for crop growing and still have as much agricultural production as the third world as a whole. In reaction to this, rain forests are being cut down so people in tropical areas can use the land for cultivating on, but, due to a lack of understanding about how it should be looked after, it eventually becomes useless.

The author suggests that there is an increasing weight on third world countries and this is down to the divide in labour output between the different worlds. The problem is that third world countries only have crops from the land which is all they can trade into markets. The access to some of this ground is a problem, even if it is productive.

Most of the produce imported to the ‘First World’ is essential foods for protein but the food mainly exported to third world countries is not so they are left with a lack of protein in their diet. The author suggests that this problem could be helped by moving foods moved into more deprived areas. The amount of food being produced is not being shared fairly. Deprived areas have less food because farmers are waiting for the prices to increase and there is not enough transporting of goods between themselves.

The question is: Is there any point in third world countries increasing their place in world trade if the division of inequalities is so large? Should they increase trade between each other instead? The author suggests that third world countries should stop exporting raw materials to the developed world and keep what resources they have left to expand trade between themselves.

To conclude, Third World countries only do well when world trade is high but then it generally ends up falling again. There is no advantage in trade between the different worlds, as it’s not always reliable and dependent on the state of the world economy

I feel researching factors like population growth and land cultivation helps give me a better understanding of the inequalities between the North and South divide.

Assignment 4 - First Summary

Raynolds, L.T, Murray, D., (2007). Fair Trade, The Challenges of Transforming Globalization. USA: Routledge

Contemporary Challenges and future prospects

The chapter discusses the challenges facing Fair Trade in its efforts to transform globalisation and to develop economic and environmental sustainability in the Third World, through different trade practices in the market. It also views its increasing growth as an organisation, focusing on the clear tensions created working in and against the market.

As FairTrade has rapidly developed and grown over recent years, the author states that this has given rise to a number of challenges, which could become a future threat unless changes are made. It is mentioned that there are obvious contradictions within the trade practise of Fair Trade and market priorities. Fair trade seeks for improved changes in trade practises and pushes for a more equal trade between northern consumers and southern producers, whilst still promoting ethical values. It is looked at from different perspectives and the author explains why there is a divide in the movement. Some people see Fair Trade as a development which is trying to promote fairer trade practices and values within the market, based on factors like sustainability. Others see it as more of a commercial venture, in which Fair Trade and the market values and practices are still mainly dominant.

The author questions whether the growth of Fair Trade is a sign of achievement. Or, has Fair Trade’s principles and practices been over looked due to commercial success?

The author highlights some central challenges facing Fair Trade now. There has been a huge shift from supporting small alternative organisations to encompassing a large number of committed consumers, so many more certified products have been made available for sale in markets. Some people see this as a success in reshaping market relations but others see it only as attempts to profit from Fair Trade products. FLO has increased certified sales to maximise the amount of workers and producers benefiting from being part of Fair Trade, but the market is demanding they have more reliable supplies to offer. The author explains that FLO are more interested in where Fair Trade stands within the market rather than the concerns of north/south inequalities. The smaller alternative organisations are concerned about getting less notice than larger distributors who actually certify less Fair Trade products than themselves. If present trade practices continue then the success of equality in trade could be questioned.

The number of Fair Trade workers has increased as Fair Trade merges production units to manage quantity and quality requirements. Some think this shows Fair Trade’s ability to support small scale farmers but others think it just highlights North/South inequalities. The trends in the market now are pushing out the smaller scale producers as bigger distributors have increasing quality production and therefore the author questions whether small producers are benefiting. Certain quality requirements such as shifting to organic production could possibly create difficulties for disadvantaged producers, questioning Fair Trade’s strategies for small scale producers. Diversity of production is also being demanded by the market, again disadvantaging small scale farmers. The demands of northern markets are affecting the activities of Fair Trade workers.

It is the author’s opinion that the central challenge to Fair Trade is the dominance of retailers and branders who are more interested in market values rather than the organisation’s aims and that the practices and strategies adopted by the movement should remain focused on the small scale producers.

Assignment 3 Group Meeting and Mind Map

During reading week, our group met up again to discuss the different topics we were all interested in researching for our dissertation. As a group we suggested everyone should pick a topic which is of real interst or a world wide issue they are involved in and keep up to date with.
I found researching Fair Trade for my wiki entry interesting and learned a lot more about the subject and how it positively affects producers. I have always been interested in the sustainable development of third world countries and how communities within these countries manage to make a living.
As I study textiles, I am interested in designing for interiors, in particular rugs and carpets. A lot of rugs are imported over to Great Britain from some less developed countries - India, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey. Does the importing of the rugs really help boost these countries economies and the lifestyles of the actual producers?

I would like to explore some less developed countries- parts of Africa, to discover how the workers manage to sustain their livelihoods. I'd also want to explore what impact the fair trade organisation has. What part do designers play in helping boost their incomes?

As a weaver, I know how time-consuming and expensive it is to produce a woven sample. Does it seem fair that weavers in less developed countries are paid less to carry out similar work?

At our meeting we talked about different research methods to use , for example Primary and Secondary, for further investigation.

Not everyone had finally decided on a topic for study, but some included Art Therapy, Recycling, Globalisation and Education. A few of us decided to continue researching into our wiki subjects.

This is my Mind map showing a few ideas which I will look into for my dissertation.

Assignment 1- Wiki - Fair Trade and Design

Fair Trade and Design

Fair Trade is all about re-shaping the structure and practices of International Trade, focusing on helping and benefiting the most disadvantaged producers and workers in Third World countries. The idea is to reduce the amount of poverty within these countries and allow the poorest communities to have a more sustainable environment and livelihood.

“Northern activists working with producers, labourers and other impoverished sectors of the Global South are using market-based strategies to mobilise consumer awareness in order to bolster incomes and empower Southern producers and workers.” (Raynolds, 2007)

The organisations involved in Fair Trade work alongside businesses, community groups and individuals to help provide better working conditions, secure the rights of the most marginalised farm workers and producers, obtain better prices for them and so try to strengthen their position in the world market. To tackle these developing issues the foundation provides a certification on a product, displaying the Fair Trade mark, which alerts consumers that the minimum requirements in relation to fairness have been met. It is also a sign that the item is a quality Fair Trade product. The foundation encourages demand for fair -trade products, allowing for more producers to sell. To motivate the workers to produce quality crops, they are given a Fair Trade premium, which can only be used for social and economic benefits and is usually put towards farm improvements to increase the produce and the quality.

History

It was just after World War II that the Fair Trade movement began. Small religious community groups in and around Europe were buying handicrafts from poor producers and workers above the market price. This buying to support the needs of poor communities was the starting point of the Fair Trade movement. Poor producers were selling handicrafts directly to consumers. The whole idea grew considerably during the 1960’s and 70’s and many ‘World Shops’ with handicrafts began to appear. By the 1980’s, it attracted more consumer attention until it eventually expanded out to include some food items, such as tea, coffee and cocoa.

The first Fair Trade label was introduced in 1988 and the first Fair Trade coffee from Mexico was put into supermarkets. In the late 1980’s product certification and labelling was initiated. All the alternative Trade Organisations in the Global North and South wanted to increase sales by moving away from just handicraft shops. They planned to advertise food items in major supermarkets and so have more Fair Trade products available for consumers. By the early 1990’s separate trade organisations combined their efforts to work together.

The Fair Trade Foundation in the UK was established in 1992 and the first Fair Trade products were sold in supermarkets in 1994. The Co-operative was the first company in the UK to go Fair Trade. It was established by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement.

It was in 1997 that the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation International, (FLO) was created. FLO set standards for producers and traders and continues to develop these standards. There was an incredible shift in the Fair Trade movement during this time.

“Fair Trade has emerged as the most important market-based mechanism to improve the lives of producers in developing countries.” (Nicholls, 2005)

Although many alternative Trade Organisations were fading out of the picture due to a decline in handicrafts, there are still some places, around Europe and in Japan which continue to thrive with their alternative Trade Organisations.

“Fair Trade organisations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.” (Long, 2005)

In 2002, FLO introduced a new International Fair Trade Mark. The purpose of the mark was to increase the public’s awareness, alerting them to the organisation’s significance. After the introduction of this mark there was a notable increase in consumer concern about the environmental and social sustainability in third world countries. There is now an ever-growing demand for Fair Trade products in supermarkets, as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the developing issues in these countries.

Currently, Fair Trade production in Africa is expanding most quickly. It is the top exporter of certified tea, fruits, juices and wine. Since becoming established, the benefits of Fair Trade to producers and workers have been considerable .There has been an increase in countries becoming Fair Trade and there is an incredibly diverse range of certified products in supermarkets. With the current expansion rate, there are now concerns about the increasing growth of production and the ability of the organisation to continue to secure rights of workers as demand rises.

“The growth of large-scale production raises questions about the ability of fair trade to empower workers...” (Long, 2005)

Fair Trade and Design

The general increase in public awareness of the Fair Trade Foundation is directly linked to the organisation’s marketing strategies. In today’s world, there are plenty opportunities to promote and advertise. The internet enables the organisation to promote its aims, provide updated information about what it is doing and keep the public interested in its achievements. TV and magazine advertising are also important ways of promoting its work. Also, schools can apply to become Fair-Trade schools with further raising awareness.

The Fair-trade logo is clearly used to promote food items in supermarkets and attracts consumer attention. The logo itself is instantly recognisable. It is simple, yet eye-catching and is open to individual interpretation. As Fair Trade is a world-wide reputable organisation, consumers don’t doubt the quality of the product and are prepared to pay a little more as they have trust in the organisation and what it stands for. Many products show bold colourful images of the farmers at work, so promoting the value of fair trade. The images and information also try to advertise the natural organic quality of the product, so the consumer automatically assumes the product is produced to a high quality. Often the packaging is appealing to the eye, a further incentive to buy.

The marketing of Fair Trade clothing is perhaps less prominent than the advertising of food items and sales could benefit from a more obvious use of the logo and labelling giving information about production. Stores could do more to distinguish Fair Trade clothing from the non fair- trade items by advertising with signs and posters to attract consumers. Bold and bright advertising to state the aims of Fair Trade and to raise awareness of workers’ economic and social conditions may help to attract consumers to such clothing items in stores. Also, it is important to emphasise the high quality of the goods. Big stores could perhaps do more to promote Fair Trade clothing through in-store advertising, but also through magazines and TV adverts, always clearly displaying the logo and providing information about the production. The use of a celebrity to model clothing could also help to attract consumers.

For a Third World country to become less poor, the production of its goods and services has to be increased.

“If these resources are not available domestically in sufficient quantity, they may be obtained externally, either through official programmes of foreign aid and technical assistance, or through foreign private investment and immigration.” (Cutajar, 1967)

Companies such as ‘People Tree’ are trying to increase the amount of cotton being grown organically by workers. They are hoping to eventually make all their products from organic cotton in the near future. This will increase the demand for more organic cotton being produced and so create more jobs for workers in these under-developed countries. A rise in production within these countries would also mean more income for communities to put towards education, health and other services of need.

Companies like People Tree are trying to promote and advertise a wider market in Fair Trade clothing. More marketing of Fair Trade means more demand on retailers from consumers, directly spreading public awareness of Fair-trade aims. Having a wider range of Fair Trade cotton products on the market will encourage consumers to look and hopefully purchase because the items are organically produced and proceeds benefit poor workers.

‘People Tree’ support 50 Fair Trade producer groups. They carry out programs through which they train workers, improving their skills as well as allowing them time to produce the products by hand, which is rarely done now and can be more appealing to consumers. They also give technical training to increase workers’ efficiency and productivity. During the design process, the People Tree designers always think about the effects on the producers when making decisions. The designers will always choose methods which are more labour intensive and will make sure their designs are going to be beneficial to the workers.

Companies from the developed world working with Fair Trade will directly impact on designs due to cultural aspects. As more companies become Fair Trade, there will be an increase in public awareness and consumer demand for the goods. Farmers’ lives will improve and they will learn new skills.

References

Cutajar, M.Z. and Franks, A., (1967). The Less Developed Countries in World Trade. London: The Overseas Development Institute.

Nicholls, A. and Opal, C., (2005). Fair Trade: Market – driven ethical consumption. London: SAGE

Raynolds, L.T, Murray, D and Wilkinson, J., (2007). Fair Trade, The Challenges Of Transforming Globalization. USA: Routledge

The Fairtrade Foundation, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/ [Accessed 22^nd September 2010].

The Fairtrade Foundation, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/history.aspx [Accessed 22nd September 2010]

The Fairtrade Foundation, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/fairtrade_foundation.aspx [Accessed 22nd September 2010]

The Fairtrade Foundation, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/resources/films/cotton_cameroon.aspx [Accessed 23rd September 2010]

People Tree, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.peopletree.co.uk/ [Accessed 1^st October 2010]

Shared Earth, [online] Available at: http://www.sharedearth.co.uk/ [Accessed 1^st October 2010]

Fry, C., (2007). Cottoning on to a good thing. The Guardian Online, [online] 13 April, Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/apr/13/fairtrade.organics [Accessed 1st October 2010]

First Assignment Progress

At the second meeting we discussed how each of us was progressing with our individual research topics. We were able to help each other by suggesting websites or people who could be approached for more information. As a group we thought it would be best to keep in touch via Facebook as a common link.

Afterwards, I went onto the Fair Trade website, where I was able to find a lot of information including short video clips of farmers at work from different Fair Trade towns, who were reflecting about how being part of Fair Trade has given them and their communities a better life.
I am interested in looking into the Third World Countries which have become involved in the Fair Trade Foundation Fair Trade has had on the communitity as a whole. Has it reduced the amount of poverty within these countries ?

Below I have put together a mind map of different aspects of Fair Trade.

3rd Year - Assignment 1

For this assignment I'm meeting up with my other team members on a regular basis to discuss our progress on each of our individual research topics. During the first meeting we all selected a topic of interest and had a brief discussion on what we thought each topic covered. We also thought about the relevance each one had to design and suggested any ideas that we could think of at the time. For example I am going to be looking into Fair Trade and how it links to design. Suggestions were to look into the branding and advertising of the Fair Trade mark. Is the mark designed and illustrated to its advantage? Are most people aware of the importance of the Fair Trade mark?
During this meeting we discussed what research methods we could use to develop our understanding. Methods suggested included cross-search, library resources, internet, brainstorming, group disscussions and a mind map which could be ongoing.

Below is a mindmap summarising all the points discussed during the first meeting,including the different topics each of us is looking into.