News
Competence Center for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship launches Ideas Competition with Fairtrade Germany
- On 23 July, ourSocialInnovation.org started ideas competition for "fair trade"
- Internet platform "ourSocialInnovation.org" was established by the "Competence Center for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship" at EBS Universität and the World Vision Institute
- Platform aims to develop creative and innovative ideas to address social challenges
Fairtrade Germany is partner of the second ideas competition to be launched by the internet platform ourSocialInnovation.org. The competition will focus on how consumer behaviour can be permanently changed so that consumers buy fair trade chocolate and other fair trade products. Start of the competition was 23 July 2012.
ourSocialInnovation.org was developed by the Competence Center for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) at EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht. The website provides a platform for users to submit ideas and concepts to address contemporary challenges in society and, in an interactive environment with other participants, to further develop these proposals. The project ourSocialInnovation.org was launched as part of the ongoing research project "Social Innovations in Germany" currently being conducted at SISE. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the research project is supported by World Vision Deutschland e.V., a Christian children's relief organization based in Friedrichsdorf in the federal stat of Hesse.
The fair trade ideas competition is concerned with a pressing social problem: Many cocoa farmers are living below the poverty line, despite the fact that they grow and sell valuable products which are also enjoyed by people in Germany. Furthermore, child labour is still very widespread. Particularly farmers in the West African cocoa growing regions live in deplorable conditions. At the same time more than 90 per cent of the cocoa consumed in Germany comes from here.
The transition to fair trade certified production will create better perspectives for cocoa farmers. Fair trade offers farmers the chance to receive a minimum price for their cocoa beans so that they are able to improve their quality of life and no longer have to depend on their children contributing to family income. To permanently improve the situation among cocoa farmers it is essential to make more consumers aware of the problems in the cocoa market and at the same time highlight the positive effects of fair trade chocolate.
TransFair, the registered association that awards the Fairtrade seal in Germany, is therefore seeking to collect ideas via the internet platform ourSocialInnovation.org on how consumer behaviour towards fair trade products, such as fair trade chocolate, can be effectively changed. The competition question is: How can consumer purchasing behaviour be permanently changed so that consumers buy fair trade chocolate and other fair trade products? The start of the ideas competition was 23 July 2012. Ideas will be judged by the internet community and a jury made up of researchers and scientists. The best ideas will receive a prize and be implemented by the owner of the idea and Transfair. Participants therefore have the chance together with a reputable organization to create a real social benefit.
Contact persons:
Dr Susan Müller
EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht
Competence Center for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Tel. +49 611 7102 1457
Email: susan.mueller@ebs.edu
Dr Hartmut Kopf
World Vision Deutschland e.V.
Tel. +49 6172 763157
Email: Hartmut_Kopf@wvi.org