What better way to mark the start of the Fairtrade Fortnight ‘Come On In’ campaign then by unveiling a giant double doorway opening onto a scene from a banana farm?
This was exactly what happened yesterday in a stunt designed to invite the public to stand with farmers and encourage them to banish exploitation and break the stranglehold of poverty prices.
This event was enhanced with the presence of Tess Ward, celebrity chef, food writer and author, who was readily available to hand out Fairtrade bananas to passers-by, who were invited to step onto the Panama banana farm by virtue of a new immersive 360 virtual reality film.
Despite our love for foods such as these bananas, millions of farmers and workers are being ripped off – this is unjust treatment, particularly when these employees work incredibly hard to provide these products for our consumption.
The unfortunate truth is that these individuals face unfairness in global trade, and this is rooted in centuries of exploitation. This can be exemplified with the banana industry, which actually enables tens of thousands of people to be employed in Latin America, the Caribbean, south-east Asia and West Africa.
There has been a 40% fall in the typical UK retail price of loose bananas over the past 15 years, although costs of production has actually doubled in some areas. The effect of these factors, when combined, have a human cost, and the result is that workers on non-Fairtrade plantations often have to contend with many difficulties.
These issues relate to basic housing, poor working conditions and a lack of job security. In addition to this they are continually undermined by late cancellations and delayed payments from unscrupulous buyers.
However, research suggests that we may form part of the problem (unconsciously). A study published yesterday revealed that over a quarter of Brits (26%) admit they never think about who produces their food and drink. As well as this, almost half of those questioned said they are unaware of food chain exploitation.
However, 88% of shoppers prioritised price and quality when making food-purchasing decisions – they even placed these as more important than the location (71%) and a store’s ethical credentials (49%).
This is also supported by sales stats, as independent data from Kantar Worldpanel displayed a 7% growth in the 52 weeks ending 31 December 2017 2017 as more shoppers and businesses get behind Fairtrade.
Because of this growth more farmers are now getting a better deal through Fairtrade, as they have noticed significant changes in terms of their incomes. This increase suggests a greater awareness of Fairtrade, and this is something that can be continually improved upon as time goes on.
Fairtrade Fortnight is a movement that can strengthen brand recognition and make further positive adjustments to the lesser well-off farming community. One of its core goals is to get Commonwealth leaders on board to help make the steps needed to put a stop to exploitative trade.
As part of this project the Fairtrade Foundation has teamed up with banana farmer Marcial Quintero, a member of Coobana in Panama, and three other Fairtrade farmers. These relationships have been established to raise awareness; the individuals will speak at approximately 100 events around the UK to get their voices heard whilst highlighting the achievements that can be made when shoppers convert to Fairtrade products.
Marcial Quintero commented: “Before joining Fairtrade we didn’t see any benefits, development or profit. The price we used to receive per box wasn’t enough to cover our costs – and for 17 years the price didn’t change. Since starting with Fairtrade it’s made a mega-revolution in our lives.”
Marcial and other hard-working producers in similar positions are unravelling this legacy of exploitation and fighting for fairness in order to transform their community.
You can do your bit by finding out more about the campaign at: fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight. You can also follow #FairtradeFortnight to keep up to date with all the latest activity.
> Hannah Montgomery
