Alter Trade is celebrating its 24th year of “Fair Trade and People to People Trade” today highlighting its accomplishments in partnerships with farmers from Negros Occidental and other provinces and regions in the country, its chairperson, Norma Mugar, said yesterday.

At 3 p.m. today, Fr. Ronald Quijano will lead a mass at the Alter Trade compound while 45 of their workers will take part in a tree planting activity tomorrow with the Pandanon Integrated Balangon Farmers Association at Don Salvador Benedicto.

Mugar recalled that it was in the 1980’s when Negros Occidental experienced socio-economic crisis that led to the establishment of the organization.

She said fair trade and people to people trade is a relationship that directly links consumers and producers and that it is also a translation of expression of solidarity with the poor or the marginalized sector.

“People to people is the heart of our mission and core of our activities. It is both commercial and visionary between producers and consumers and it is the key element which distinguishes our approach from other development cooperation,” Mugar said.

Alter Trade has partnered with agrarian reform farmers and non-government organizations and has been exporting its organic muscovado sugar and naturally grown balangon bananas in Korea, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, United States of America, Australia, and other Asian countries.*LTG

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