Thanks a bunch for 30 years of Fairtrade. We’ve gone beyond Fairtrade sourcing by investing in programmes to support smallholder farmer resilience and livelihoods by improving productivity in Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
Celenia Orozco, small-scale banana farmer and member of ASOBANARCOOP co-operative in the Magdalena region of northern Colombia.
“Fairtrade has given me a lot. I’ve benefited as a person and as a producer…Fairtrade is providing what we need to make our lives better.”
"We were certified Fairtrade in 1996 and we’ve remained certified since then. We entered into trade relationship with Co-op in 2000 and again have remained partners since then until now… we are so happy to be partner of Co-op’s and to be the first producer to introduce Fairtrade bananas on shelves in Co-op shops. I want to urge members of Co-op to continue to along this path and show the example when it comes to ethical trade so that at the end of the day trade is meaningful, trade is impactful, and trade is bringing a lot of relief to people in Global South."
"Fairtrade has brought a lot of benefits to the communities around us. We operate within 5 plantations and different communities and through the Fairtrade Premium we have been able to put up one educational structure after another. These seem to be the most impactful projects when it comes to the support we give these communities. Through that, children who have not been able to have any education at all are now are able to access primary and secondary education, and in some cases even University."
We sourced our first Fairtrade bananas through Volta River Estates (VREL) in Ghana. Hear from them on the difference Fairtrade makes in their community.
Increasingly, small-scale banana farmers are facing challenges such as the impacts of climate change, loss of soil fertility, low productivity and growing threats of pests and diseases which are threatening livelihoods. To address these issues, since 2019, Co-op has supported the Productivity Improvement Programme (PIP) in conjunction with CLAC (the Latin American and Caribbean Fairtrade Producer Network) and our supplier Fyffes to support small-scale banana farmers in Colombia and Dominican Republic.
PIP aims to improve soil health through encouraging organic production methods and the incorporation of micro-organisms and organic matter, which translates to a reduction in the environmental footprint of banana production, in addition to improved resilience to extreme changes in climate through higher soil fertility and resistance to diseases.
Since inception, PIP has seen demonstrable success. After 4 years, some producers have gone from producing 40 boxes per-week to producing over 75 boxes per-week, representing an increase of more than 85%, with PIP farms generating a gross income 15% higher than non-PIP farms, resulting in increases in smallholder farmer incomes when combined with reduced production costs from utilising organic methods. Find out more by clicking here.
