Thanks a bunch for over 29 years of Fairtrade. We’ve gone beyond Fairtrade 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.”
Ramon Vargas, a small-scale banana farmer from the Dominican Republic, also shares how Fairtrade has positively impacted him personally.
"Before Fairtrade I was living in poverty. Being part of this system means i've been able to make my banana business profitable. This is because Fairtrade enables me to sell all my fruit at a fair price, throughout the whole year."
We sourced our first Fairtrade bananas through Volta River Estates (VREL) in Ghana. Hear from them on the difference Fairtrade makes in their community.
The Productivity Improvement Programme (PIP) aims to improve soil health through organic production methods and the incorporation of micro-organisms and organic matter, which translates into higher fertility, a reduction of water and chemical use, increased resistance to pathogens, and ultimately higher banana farm productivity. Co-op has supported this project since 2019 and following the project’s success in the Dominican Republic, this has since been scaled up and launched in Colombia too. PIP has seen demonstrable success with average yields increasing by +36% per hectare across all countries, combined with a reduction of the costs of production, which translated into a substantial increase in farmers’ incomes. On top of this, the project contributed to the reduction of water and carbon footprints, as well as an increase in soil biodiversity and a stronger resistance of soils against diseases. So far, this project has benefitted 330 farmers and the current phase is expected to benefit a further 420 farmers. Read more here.
