There are a few things that are so Uzbek as raisins. Kishmish, as raisins are called in Uzbekistan, are a world of their own. You can see them everywhere in the bazaars in big bags, piled up proudly on the sellers’ counters. The virtues are extolled by all: buyers and sellers alike. You can taste them in the main dish the pilaf rice, in cakes or just as they are, sweet and black. One is tempted to call them the black gold of Uzbekistan.

Working close to people like the EU-UNDP project Enhancement of Living Standards in the Fergana Valley and the Area Based Development project in Karakalpakstan and Kashkadarya region gives an opportunity to see what development organizations can concretely do to support the government efforts to improve living standards in the regions.
In Uzbekistan, over 60% of the population is rural and lives primarily off agricultural activities. Small-scale agriculture in the country has become much more important with the break-up of the centralized model and the privatization of the sector. Land reform has resulted in over 200 000 new small private farms, which individually have limited technical skills and bargaining power.
Providing the opportunity to farmers in Uzbekistan to access fair trade markets abroad is a way to increase their revenues and living standards. This is in line with the objective of EU-UNDP project Enhancement of Living Standards in the Fergana Valley and the Area Based Development project in Karakalpakstan and Kashkadarya region to improve the capacity of communities to take part in and contribute to their socio-economic development and demonstrates alternative approaches for the improvement of living standards in rural areas. It is also in line with the goals of the Growing Inclusive Markets (GIM) initiative recently started by UNDP through its Business Forum of Uzbekistan project, which aims to make markets more inclusive and beneficial to the poor and vulnerable in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in the region.
In partnership with the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) and some of its national Labelling Initiatives (such as the UK Fairtrade Foundation), and UNDP are currently working on a pre-feasibility study to analyze the possibility to link marginalized raisin producers from Uzbekistan to  Western markets consumers through Fairtrade label, a fair and equitable certification scheme that aims at transforming trading structures and practices in favor of the poor and disadvantaged producer organizations.
More specifically the project will be instrumental in facilitating possible future technical and business support to:
•    Bridge the gap between the farmers’ organization current  structure and what is required by Fairtrade
•    Facilitate market linkages and promote long trading relationships
•    Support increased profitability.
Although to date the project is in its pre-feasibility stage, local cooperatives already have high hopes and look forward to reap fruit from this partnership with FLO. This partnership has the potential of bringing more than increased income and livelihoods opportunities for farmers involved in raisin production and their families. Fairtrade is about empowerment brought by community and business development. In the process, awareness of the Fairtrade model and principles in Uzbekistan will also be increased.

To know more, please see the profile of a grape producer cooperative that has expressed interest to become Fairtrade certified.

For detailed information on
Fairtrade Labelling Organization - http://www.fairtrade.net/
Fairtrade Foundation - http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

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