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The living proof

On Tuesday 4^th March, as part of a national tour for Fairtrade fortnight, Louise, a representative of the Day Chocolate Company, and Rijayatu Razak, the daughter of a cocoa farmer from Ghana, came to the university to talk about the Fairtrade market and how it can change peoples lives. This event was kindly organised by Hilary, our very own student Dubble rep!

Louise began by explaining how Fairtrade works, why it is important and how it is different from conventional trade. In the conventional trading market, products such as coffee, tea, bananas and cocoa are sold at widely fluctuating prices. They can be low one month and high the next, so farmers never know how much they are going to be paid for their products. Overall, these prices bear no relation to what it actually costs to produce the item and do not reflect living costs. Market prices can be so low that farmers do not even meet the costs of production. Fairtrade is an alternative way of trading, a network through which farmers are always paid a set minimum price for their products. This price is stable, guaranteed and will not fluctuate. The Fairtrade companies can choose to pay the farmers more than the Fairtrade price, but they will never be paid less. The Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) is an independent body, which works with the seventeen countries now involved in Fairtrade, and sets the standard for labels and pricing. This makes sure that farmers are paid the Fairtrade price. FLO are also responsible for giving out the social premium. This is money on top of the Fairtrade price and given to benefit the local community.

"Photo: www.freefoto.com

Cocoa has been grown in Ghana since the mid-nineteenth century, and is its main export. The turning point for farmers came with the liberalisation of the cocoa market. Prior to this, in Ghana every farmer had to sell their cocoa to the Government. If the price was low, it was too bad; if they didn't get paid at all this was also too bad. Since the liberalisation, farmers can now choose who they wish to sell their cocoa to. In 1993, two hundred farmers got together and formed a co-operative to sell to the Fairtrade market. This was named Kuapa Kokoo, meaning `Good Cocoa Farmers Company.' This co-operative collects and sells its own cocoa for the benefit of the farmers and their local communities.

The Day Chocolate Company was founded in 1998, because farmers wanted to set up their own chocolate company and produce their own branded chocolate bar to sell to Western markets. With the support of Twin Trading, The Body Shop, Christian Aid and Comic Relief, the Day Chocolate Company was formed, and now produces Divine and Dubble Bars. This company is a third owned by Kuapa Kokoo, and only beans from this co-operative are used to make these chocolate bars. Because this is a partnership, Kuapa Kokoo not only get a fair price for their cocoa beans, but are also a profit sharer. They have an influence in how the company is run and how the chocolate is produced.

At this point, Louise then introduced Rijayatu to us. Until now, the fifteen year old Ghanaian had remained silent, and I was unsure how good her English would be, or how confident she would be when speaking in front of a group of university students. I need not have worried! What followed was a bubbly, articulate and straightforward account of how and why being part of the Fairtrade market has changed her life and that of her parents and community so drastically. She now goes to school, because her father can afford to send her and has ambitions to be a scientist. She explained that even being in school is hard for many young people because of the costs, and before she went to school she had no dreams or ambitions: "Before, I had no choice, I never dreamed of doing anything." Rijayatu is obviously very bright and is now able to fulfil her potential. Her life has changed in other ways too. She used to have to get up at four o'clock in the morning to walk the two to three miles to col lect water, but now the village has had a well put in. The school has also benefited from the social premium, with new books and pens. What came across to me was a young person who has a completely new outlook on life. She seemed relaxed, confident and excited about what the Fairtrade market had done for her family. She now encourages her friends' families to join the co-operative, and more and more are beginning to do so. She said "My message to you all is that the more Fairtrade products are bought, the more our parents are paid well, the more cocoa they produce and the more they can sell."

It really is that straightforward. As Louise put it, "literally every time you go into a store and chose Fairtrade Chocolate over normal chocolate, that's the difference you're making, it's pretty simple figures." At present only seventeen percent of the cocoa that Ghanaian farmers produce is sold to Kuapa Kokoo because so much is produced. The more Fairtrade chocolate that is sold in supermarkets and other stores, the more cocoa they can sell at the Fairtrade price, instead of selling to the conventional market at a lower price. Louise was keen to stress that buying Fairtrade is not about charitable giving, it's about empowerment. These farmers deserve to be paid a fair wage for working hard, just as we are everyday. This market is a way for farmers to break out of the debt-poverty cycle that is brought about by the conventional market, and being constantly indebted to loan sharks.

Rijayatu and her community have certainly been empowered. Before this talk I had heard all about Fairtrade and made an effort to buy these products. I knew that communities around the world were benefiting from these sales, but hearing Rijayaytu speak really hit home. We can make a huge difference by buying these goods and I've seen the living proof for myself. Just seeing the benefits to one person was amazing. I know I may be preaching to the converted here, but I certainly will make more of an effort now, as on a personal level I have seen the difference that it makes. We have a choice, so choose Fairtrade.

Fran Gilling

Last modified: 25th November 2005