WAFT Wells Action For Fair-Trade

On a cold and wet Saturday afternoon on 27th February the Methodist Church Hall played host to a Tea Party organised by WAFT.  

Diana Manasseh has travelled from Ghana to the U.K. for Fairtrade Fortnight. She is giving presentations throughout East Anglia on the benefits of Fairtrade to the growers of pineapples and mangoes from her region back in Ghana, and on Saturday she was in Wells giving her presentation to a hall packed with people who had come to find out more.

Diana Manasseh is the Certification Officer and Fairtrade Officer at Bomarts Farms Ltd, a producer of pineapples and mangoes for export. She is married with a 12-year-old son and 16-month-old daughter. 

Whin Hill Cider (Jim and Pete) also gave us a fascinating insight in to apple juice and cider production on a small local scale. 

Their presentation took us to their fields in Stanhoe where they grow apples and pears required for the production of their delicious apple juices and ciders which are available from their cottage industry in Stearman's Yard in Wells. Jim and Peter manage the business between them with the exception of an extra pair of hands in the shop during the summer and of course the assistance of their dog Fred, who has to be the softest brown labrador in all of Wells. 

The audience particularly liked the video presentation which took us to Stanhoe to see the apple trees in bloom in May and then the harvesting of the apples in late summer with a very special tree shaker which was most amusing to watch. The fruit is then transported down to Wells to be processed into Cider, Apple Juice and now Perry from the pears, that are also grown, ready for purchase from their on site shop.

Diana’s video took us to fields in Ghana where pineapples are grown for the export market. We saw the plants in their infancy and also when they flowered, they then went on to grow into those beautiful pineapples that we can buy in local supermarkets.  Great care is taken to ensure we receive disease free, tasty pineapples at their best when we purchase them.

So where does Fairtrade fit in?

Bomarts who Diana works for was Fairtrade certified for pineapples and mangoes in 2002. The FAIRTRADE Certification Mark is unique. It is the original fair trade consumer label. and was introduced by major third world development charities to ensure a better deal for producers. 

To be eligible for certification Bomarts had to agree to apply certain standards.

The key objectives of the standards are to:

• Ensure that producers receive prices that cover their average costs of sustainable production;
• Provide an additional Fairtrade Premium which can be invested in projects that enhance social, economic and environmental development;
• Enable pre-financing for producers who require it;
• Facilitate long-term trading partnerships and enable greater producer control over the trading process;
• Set clear minimum and progressive criteria to ensure that the conditions of production and trade of all Fairtrade certified products are socially, economically fair and environmentally responsible.

In particular Diana explained the huge benefit of the Fairtrade Premium. In the video she showed us the benefits of:

• The water supply that had been installed in the village where most of the workers live. This means that the children no longer have to fetch water from a great distance which made them late for school.
• The new pre-school that had been set up which not only means better educated children, but also the knowledge that your children are safe when you are working.
• The improvement in the maternity hospital which means that mothers are able to give birth close to home instead of travelling a long distance to give birth.
• The introduction of a canteen for the workers who all benefit from a subsidised meal which means that they stay healthier and are able to do the job for which they were employed.
• The ability to apply for loans (similar to our credit unions) at a very low interest for necessary items.

Diana also explained that they were now looking at other benefits to advance the education of older children.

So when you go into your supermarket and see the different prices of Fairtrade and other produce, be aware of the benefits of the Fairtrade premium. Don’t be frightened to ask for Fairtrade.  Shopkeepers and supermarkets will only stock what we want to buy. Let’s push up the percentage of Fairtrade goods bought thereby increasing the benefits to the developing world.  Help these people to improve their own education, health and environment and employment.