A pilot training on women’s leadership in coffee cooperatives was held for Kokowagayo and Ara Cahayani Gayo cooperatives on November 6–8, 2018. The pilot training is a follow-up to the 5-day training of trainers (ToT) on women’s leadership in coffee cooperatives that took place October 15–19, 2018, for 18 women leaders and key staff of six women-led cooperatives in Aceh.

The main objective of the ToT was to increase the knowledge of leaders and staff of these cooperatives about how women’s leadership and membership contributes to cooperatives’ democratic governance and economic success and the training and advocacy skills to promote it. Learn more at https://tpsaproject.com/event/pilot-leadership-training-for-two-women-led-coffee-cooperatives-kokowagayo-and-ara-cahayani-gayo/

TPSA launches the report of its year-long gender and trade study today at the Hotel Le Meridien in Jakarta. The report, Opening the World of Trade to Women: How Gender Affects Trade Benefits for Indonesian SMEs provides an analysis of business-related and gender-based challenges faced by Indonesian women-owned SMEs in running their businesses and in exporting. It offers recommendations to Indonesian government, business associations, and cooperatives to help ensure that women-owned SMEs can participate effectively in domestic and international trade and benefit equitably with men from the opportunities created by trade.

Read the full report at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-11-01-Report-1-1211.01i.pdf

The “Indonesian-made boots” described in this Footwear News feature are produced by P.T. Venamon, one of the Indonesian footwear firms that are supported by the Canada–Indonesia TPSA Project. Turkish artist Vahap Avsar is introducing footwear to his  Crypto Spring 2019 collection of messenger bags. Venamon, second-generation, family-owned footwear manufacturer, is one of the premier suppliers to the Indonesian army as well as the local police forces. Now in business for more than 40 years, Venamon meets the challenges of building products for endurance and comfort in one of the wettest climates in the world.

PT Venamon also welcomed Canada’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Peter MacArthur, in May 2018.  Sisters Henny and Lenny Setiadi took Ambassador MacArthur on a tour of their plant and discussed the positive changes they have made with TPSA assistance. Learn more at https://tpsaproject.com/event/canadian-ambassador-to-indonesia-visits-tpsa-footwear-firm-in-bandung/

To increase footwear and apparel exports to Canada, Indonesian testing labs must ensure that their testing procedures meet Canadian regulatory standards in order to increase footwear and apparel exports to Canada. To help Indonesian footwear and apparel products enter the Canadian market, TPSA organized a program of technical assistance for Indonesian testing labs that evaluate footwear and apparel products for export to Canada. The labs participating in this training gained a firm appreciation and understanding of Canadian requirements through theoretical and hands-on exercises. Learn more at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-05-07-Activity-Brief-1221.03b.pdf

Adopting and implementing a proactive investment promotion plan is key to attracting foreign direct investment. The TPSA Project conducted a training workship in May 2018 with officials from BKPM, the government of Indonesia’s investment agency, on developing a business development plan for proactive investment promotion. Learn more at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-05-08-Activity-Brief-1124.08a.pdf

TPSA collaborated with the Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN), Indonesia’s first and largest network of its kind, to host Ms. Valencia Dea at The Conference Board of Canada offices in Ottawa between March and May 2018. Ms. Dea undertook a study examining the state of women’s entrepreneurship in Canada and Indonesia. Her study identified Canadian policies, regulations, and programs that support and promote women’s entrepreneurship that could be applicable to Indonesia. Learn more at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-05-09-Activity-Brief-1213.01k.pdf

Toronto, Canada, August 16, 2018 – Apparel products from four Indonesian firms will be on full display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) show in Toronto, between August 20 and 22, 2018.

The Indonesian apparel industry is strong, experiencing annual growth averaging 2.6% between 2011 and 2016. Apparel is a priority sector for export into the Canadian market.

Through a cooperation agreement between the Canada-Indonesia Trade and Private-Sector Assistance (TPSA) project and Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, these four apparel producers have been provided with extensive mentoring and coaching to be competitive and reliable suppliers to Canada. The firms will be bringing featured product samples that meet Canadian standards and will be coming prepared with a full range of product catalogs, price lists, and other promotional materials to share with prospective buyers.

According to Maria Fernanda Guzman, Canadian apparel expert with Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada, “these firms represent the best up-and-coming Indonesian apparel producers, chosen by the TPSA project after a long selection process. Over the past two years we have worked closely with these firms to certify their capacity and readiness to deliver to the Canadian import market. I am certain that prospective buyers will be impressed by the wide range of designs, quality, and cost-competitiveness of these products. Several of the firms will also produce to order based on buyer designs or preferences.”

ATSC is the only major international trade show in Canada that provides buyers and sourcing professionals with access to suppliers from across the globe. The show is the go-to place to promote apparel products and to connect with new designers and producers from all over the world.

• Bule Bule Garment has more than 23 years’ experience in the garment and textile industries, all cutting-edge designs incorporating batik and recycled fabrics, all uniquely designed by the owner, Wahyu Janawi Jaya.
• Tiga Selaras Bersama (TSB) is a woman-owned and managed supplier, producing cutting-edge design dresses, skirts, pants, and blouses. With more than 500 workers, the company operates a factory with modern equipment and can produce between 130,000 and 160,000 pieces per month.
• World KNK was started in 2002 producing affordable and high-quality men’s and women’s shirts. The company has a dedicated team of management and staff with a capacity to make over 150,000 pieces of clothing a month.
• COTTONFLAIR is a new fashion line designed by UNIQUE. UNIQUE produces its own fabric and some of the dresses, skirts, pants and blouses are made using traditional Indonesian-themed designs and reinvented them into contemporary looks.

About the TPSA Project

TPSA is a five-year C$12-million project funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and executed by The Conference Board of Canada. The primary implementation partner is the Directorate General for National Export Development, Ministry of Trade. The overall objective of TPSA is to support higher sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty in Indonesia through increased trade and trade-enabling investment between Indonesia and Canada. TPSA is intended to increase sustainable and gender-responsive trade and investment opportunities, particularly for Indonesian SMEs, and to increase the use of trade and investment analysis by Indonesian stakeholders for expanded trade and investment partnership between Indonesia and Canada.

The TPSA project has been helping some of Indonesia’s apparel and footwear small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) improve their capacity to export their products to Canada. This activity brief reports on step 10, the final workshop where participating SMEs demonstrated their progress, shared implementation successes and challenges, and learned from one another’s experiences.

Learn more at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-04-23-Activity-Brief-1123.04f.pdf

TPSA conducted a campaign day on April 24, 2018, which was designated as a world “Fashion Revolution Day.” TPSA’s public campaign to advocate for environmentally friendly apparel and footwear industries was held in the Bandung Creative Hub building, in collaboration with the Business Export Development Organization (BEDO). Increased awareness of the importance of cleaner production and sustainable fashion by SMEs and the public will help Indonesia promote greener apparel and footwear industries.

Learn more at https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-04-24-Activity-Brief-1123.04g.pdf

Indonesian coffee producers had the opportunity in April 2018 to promote their specialty products to potential buyers, importers, and roasters from Canada and the United States. Five Indonesian coffee producers received support from the TPSA project to attend the Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle from April 19 to 23, the largest specialty coffee exhibition in the world. In Vancouver on April 24 and 25, the Indonesian producers attended a coffee promotion event, Indonesian Specialty Coffee: From Farm to Cup, and took part in a warehouse tour. Learn more at:https://nbfe4d.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018-04-24-Activity-Brief-1121.01.4f.pdf