I am Luis Heller, Administration Manager in Allpa, a Peruvian WFTO member. I am also a board member of WFTO and WFTO LA.

 Before Allpa, I worked in the corporate world as an Administrator for many years. I decided to change things in my life, move on and work in the Fair Trade world; I think it was the correct decision.

Working in Allpa for 12 years and working in WFTO and WFTO- LA has made me aware of the struggle that a Fair Trade organization goes thru to be more modern, efficient and more socially responsible in order to get closer to the producer/artisans, clients and colleagues. Indeed, it is hard work done with a team effort approach: sharing ideas of innovation, following the principles of our organization WFTO, and the commitment to provide high quality products to our customers from the Fair Trade or conventional market.

I accepted the position in WFTO LA and the WFTO Board to learn more from our movement and bring our ideas to it. 

I see our work in Fair Trade Towns and now on the Int. Fair Trade Towns Steering Commitee as a challenge to make our region and the global organization closer to make our objectives as only one. Our regions have different particularities and that is what make us unique; but at the end, we only have one Main Objective: to make Fair Trade and Fair Trade Towns globally stronger.

Our job in the global south, in this case LA is in partnership with CLAC, SPP and WFTO LA. It is very important to bring the position of producers and artisans to the table of progress and integration of North and South. To me we are a global movement, not north and south separate; but, one social movement.