Shigeru Tanaka

 

Trained as a barrister, member of the Inner Temple and holds a MA in Social Development from the University of Sussex under a Chevening scholarship. Kon has been in legal practice and has been a partner of a legal firm. In 2000, Mr Kon left his partnership and was appointed managing director of the Foundation for Community Studies and Development. His work focused on poverty alleviation and community development programmes, in particular among the Orang Asli and the urban poor. More recently, the work is focused on developing a pilot community enterprise in natural farming and ensuring the Orang Asli farmers get a fair price for their produce. He is also a Malaysian representative of the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy that promotes fair and just businesses. The Foundation for Community Studies and Development have set up OA Organics as a platform to make businesses work for the poor and ensure the OA farmers get fair prices for their produce. Kon is also a member of CSO –SDG Alliance, a civil society partnership with EPU in the formulation of KPIs for the SDG goals in Malaysia. Currently, as General Manager of the Foundation, he is heading the development of a Fair Trade Plus platform for the Orang Asli in natural and integrated farming to ensure sustainable livelihoods and the environment. This is an intentionally designed community enterprise model that gives small producers a fair profit in the value chain.