THE STORY OF PREDA FAIR TRADE, HELPING VICTIMS OF EXPLOITATION, SMALL FARMERS AND THEIR CHILDREN.

“If not for Preda Fair Trade, I would still be living in poverty. The high price given by Preda for my mangos and the bonus payment gave me a way out of poverty and I can now educate my children” – Juanito, small farmer.

Poor people have been victims of exploitation by the rich for all of history. It is only when there is greater social justice and equality and the poor have the equal opportunity to succeed economically and educationally will poverty be reduced. Fair Trade gives the small economically disadvantaged people a chance to earn fair earnings that empowers them to overcome malnutrition, poverty ,sickness and the lack of education.

Profairtrade Developmental Agency since 1975 is a private business enterprise established in1975 by Father Shay Cullen to give help to the impoverished craft workers and small farmers. This exporting of products grew over the years and the earnings support the producers and spends money to rescue and protect abused and exploited women and children. Profairtrade has been exporting dried mangos since 1992. Hundreds of women have direct employment in the farming of mangos and in the processing plant, PROFOOD, which is a partner of Preda Profairtrade.

Profairtrade is now helping hundreds of producers of handicrafts, bag makers and hundreds of small farmers live a life of dignity and prosperity. Because of the Profairtrade promotion of social justice and equality, many other businesses practice corporate responsibility and buy the Preda high quality products. It also spends earnings to help individual families start up small enterprise through manufacturing of crafts, baskets, and other small scale production using recycled materials.

As a result, many Filipino craft workers, small farmers and indigenous people have better and more prosperous and healthier lives. The Profairtrade project helps the producers develop their skills and production ability and helps to get the products to the world market. Profairtrade pays the Fair Trade prices and implements the Fair Trade Principles.

Profairtrade gives a bonus payment to the producers and small farmers and also spends any profit to establish village community development projects such as water wells, plant trees and orchards, helps victims of floods and typhoons build new low cost houses, distributes school supplies, disperses goats to indigenous people and gives bicycles for additional income to help the producers and their children. Profairtrade is also educating rural communities on human and land rights, organic mango and vegetable growing.

Profairtrade shares its earnings to the PREDA foundation ( People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance). The social justice programmes of Profairtrade is implemented through the Preda Foundation Inc. which is a charitable organization that helps hundreds of children and women to be saved from sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking for exploitation. It also saves children from unjust imprisonment and inhumane conditions. There are many benefits from the Profairtrade projects through the sale of the dried mangos and crafts.