Cooperating Despite Difficulties

Message from the President

Note: the following text was prepared as a prelude to a Board of Directors meeting of Fair Trade Lebanon (FTL).

Dear Board Members,

Today, we live in a world marked by growing uncertainty, increasing complexity, and the multiplication of wars and geopolitical tensions. These upheavals weaken economies, disrupt trade, and particularly affect the most vulnerable populations, producers, and small businesses. In this context, our mission is more meaningful than ever.

Recently, I was struck by the story of Karl Bushby, the British adventurer who set out in 1998 to return to his hometown on foot from southern Chile. Twenty-eight years of walking, tens of thousands of kilometers, and countless obstacles endured to remain faithful to a dream and reach a destination.

This story made me think of Fair Trade Lebanon.

Since 2006, we have been moving forward on a path that has not always been easy. We have gone through crises, uncertainties, and particularly difficult periods, but we have remained faithful to our mission: supporting producers, strengthening cooperatives and SMEs, and promoting trade that creates dignity, autonomy, and sustainable opportunities.

Our motto, “Trade, don’t aid,” remains more relevant than ever. In a world where crises are multiplying, it is not enough to provide occasional assistance. We must enable communities to build their own future.

Today, after twenty years, we have reached a new stage in our journey. We must strengthen our organization, optimize our resources, reinforce our financial autonomy, and above all preserve our ability to act sustainably, even in an uncertain national and international environment.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all our teams. Their commitment, professionalism, resilience, and ability to keep moving forward, even in the most challenging circumstances, have been essential to our journey. Behind Fair Trade Lebanon’s achievements are, above all, the women and men who carry our mission every day. Thanks to them, our organization has been able to stay the course and continue making a difference.

Karl Bushby’s story reminds us that success does not depend solely on the distance traveled, but on the determination to continue the journey without losing sight of the destination.

Let us therefore continue moving forward together, with clarity, determination, and confidence in our mission. Twenty years are not a finish line, but a new step toward our shared ambition.

Thank you.

Samir Abdel Malak, November 3r^d, 2026