Actor and director Parvin Dabas meets cotton farmer

08 Aug '12

2 min read

NGO Shop for Change Fair Trade hosted actor and director Parvin Dabas at Lakme Fashion Week for a unique conversation with Kishore Kukade, a cotton farmer from Virdharba, Maharashtra. Mr. Dabas, a long-time supporter of Shop for Change, and Mr. Kukade, Vice-Chairman of the fair trade farmer organisation Chetna Organic Agriculture Producer Company Ltd. (COAPCL), spoke about the challenges facing India’s small-scale farming families and how Indian consumers can make a difference by choosing Shop for Change Fair Trade certified garments like those on display at Lakme Fashion Week. In 2009, Mr. Dabas travelled with Shop for Change to visit cotton farmers from see the impact of fair trade first hand.

Parvin Dabas says, “My family comes from a farming village and I’ve seen the challenges that farmers face. Today I spoke with Mr. Kukade, a Virdharba cotton farmer, about how fair trade transforms the lives of farmers like him by ensuring that they get a fairer deal. It’s inspiring to know that by doing something as simple as choosing a Shop for Change certified t-shirt we can all do our bit to make a difference.”

Kishore Kukade, cotton farmer and Vice Chairman of COAPCL says, “Though this is the busiest time of the year for a farmer, I was pleased to come from my village to lend my voice to the fair trade movement. My message to consumers I met is simple – now that you know how choosing Shop for Change certified garments makes a difference I hope that you’ll make the choice next time you shop.”

Shop for Change Fair Trade is an NGO committed to ensuring a better deal for cotton farmers. The Shop for Change Mark is an independent guarantee that small-scale cotton farmers received a fair deal for their hard work.

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