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In the modern world, we take so much for granted …. For many of us, a nearby clinic, clean water and
reliable tools to get the job done are among life’s “basics.” For sugar cane farmers’ cooperatives in Costa Rica, Malawi and Paraguay they were luxuries, things just beyond reach -- until recently. In the fall of 2005, a farmer’s cooperative in Malawi began building a community clinic and drilled holes deep into the African soil to bring clean, safe water to their village. And for a co-op in Paraguay, back-bending labor in cane fields was relieved when they bought their first-ever tractor to push, pull, and plow. Both co-ops are benefiting from Fair Trade agreements with Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc., of Sugar Land, Texas.
The sugar trade is centuries old. It has historically been driven by large factory farms that put the environment and the people who cultivated the cane at the losing end of a long line of production processes. Farmers were often unable to buy and tend their own land. Their children were forced to help feed their families by working in the fields and the mills rather than going to school. In many instances, providing clean water and basic community services was virtually impossible. We wanted to seize the opportunity to really make a difference in the everyday lives--and futures--of our farmers and their communities. Working closely with TransFair USA since 2002, Wholesome Sweeteners is the first, and only, American company to establish the opportunity for significant sales of Fair Trade Certified sugars.
Wholesome Sweeteners has always had a proud record of sourcing from environmentally and socially responsible suppliers but we wanted take our involvement a step further and deliver more value back to our primary agricultural producers. Therefore, following 3 years of preparation, in mid-2005, we launched our Sweet & Fair line of Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses.
The certification and process means Wholesome Sweeteners can guarantee that premium market prices will be paid directly to Fair Trade cooperative partners in Costa Rica, Paraguay and Malawi. We are extremely proud that just months after the first agreement was signed, money began flowing back into the co-ops. Customer support of Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified Sugars and Molasses means that in the two years since the launch of our initiative, more than $320,000 of additional income has been generated for our Fair Trade partners as of 31st March 2007.
Through Fair Trade, farmers are earning a better income for their hard work--allowing them to hold on to their land, keep their kids in school, and invest in the quality of their harvest. Moreover, the Fair Trade agreements remove unnecessary middlemen (who decrease producer income) while providing access to pre-harvest lines of credit for cooperatives. In exchange, Fair Trade Certified farmers' cooperatives must guarantee fair labor conditions for farm workers, freedom of association for farmers and workers, and democratic decision-making processes. In addition, they must maintain environmental standards that restrict use of agrochemicals, and foster sustainability.
Wholesome Sweeteners' current Fair Trade Certified Cooperative Partners:
Canera del Sur, Paraguay
We are grateful to Fair Trade for the huge help that producers received, even though our certification is still very recent. The financial support producers receive makes a big difference. --Roberto Rojas, Cooperative President
Fair Trade Certified since: 2003
Number of Active members: 333
Average Farm Size: 5 hectares (10 acres)
Premiums invested in:
- Diversifying crops to promote biodiversity and medicinal herb gardens to promote a healthier community
- Installing a radio station that broadcasts to the entire community
- Repairing roads and bridges
- Buying a truck and the co-op's very first tractor
Kasinthula, Malawi
The premiums from Fair Trade sales have increased our income, thereby improving our socioeconomic status. We are also assured of sustainability in our business, as part of the premium money invested in the plough-out and planting program. --Exford Dimo, Cane grower and co-op board member
Fair Trade Certified since: 2003
Number of Active Members: 282
Average Farm Size: 3 hectares (6 acres)
Premiums invested in:
- Drilling water wells that bring safe water to villages
- Installing electricity
- Bringing in medical supplies
- Building schools and a new clinic
- Replanting crops
ASOPRODUCLE, Costa Rica
I think that Fair Trade brings security. We sow the cane thinking it's going to get a good price. But what happens? When the time comes, the price is bad. I know that if I sell to a Fair Trade buyer that I'll get fair treatment. I'm sure that the buyer will be monitored and will buy at a fair price. --Alberto Hernandez, co-op member
Fair Trade Certified since: 2001
Number of Active members: 48
Average Farm Size: 2.5 hectares (5 acres)
Premiums invested in:
- Building community sugar processing mill
- Implementing reforestation projects
- Installing organic furnaces that can burn bagasse
From left to right: In Malawi, Africa, Fair Trade agreements have made it possible for farmers cooperatives to drill wells deep into the African soil to bring clean, fresh water to their villages, and (center) to build schools and clinics for nearly villages.(Right) In Tebicuary, Paraguay, Until signing Fair Trade agreements, many farmers' kids worked in the fields and horses pulled cane carts. Today, the kids are in school and a tractor does all of the pulling.
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