Choose the best of the best
Poverty is widespread amongst tea, coffee, cocoa and many other crop growers around the world, who face an uncertain future due to unstable world prices. However, the cocoa farmers from the village of Agyemandiem in Ghana are working their way out of poverty. They are members of Kuapa Kokoo, a Fairtrade certified cooperative for cocoa farmers.
By selling to the Fairtrade market, the 45,000 members of Kuapa Kokoo receive higher, stable prices for their cocoa, which ensures that they can afford to support themselves and their families. Through Fairtrade, farmers in the cooperative have been able to invest in much-needed water wells, which reduce the risk of water-borne diseases. The farmers have also invested Fairtrade revenue into schools to ensure that their children have access to a good education.
The farmers in Kuapa Kokoo are proud of their cocoa and their motto is ‘pa pa paa’, which means ‘the best of the best’ in the local language Twi. Kuapa Kokoo, however, is only able to sell a small percentage of it cocoa to the Fairtrade market, because internationally consumer awareness is simply not high enough. By choosing Fairtrade, you can make a real difference to the lives of farmers in the Third World. Choose Fairtrade next time you buy tea, coffee or chocolate.
In recent years, volatile prices worldwide have left many disadvantaged producers struggling to support themselves and their families. Fair-trade is an alternative model of international trade, which aims to share the benefits of trade more equitably between consumers, producers and the environment.
Fairtrade guarantees:
• A fair and stable price for their products
• Long term trading relations and advance payments
• Investment in local community development
• Environmentally sustainable farming methods
• Support in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to operate successfully in the global economy
What do the farmers say?
“We rely on the money we get from cocoa for everything: for food, clothes, medicine and school fees. Getting payment for our cocoa beans used to be hit and miss. When we didn’t get paid, we went without. Kuapa Kokoo pays all its farmers a fair price for their crop, in cash and on time. I am very lucky; since I joined Fairtrade, I can afford to send my children to school.” – Lucy Mansa, cocoa farmer, Ghana
“Without Fairtrade, nobody would be able to by sewing machines, gas cookers and other things that improve our daily lives.” – M. Wimalawathy, tea picker, Sri Lanka
“When I think of Fairtrade, I think fair for the producer and fair for the consumer.” – Guillermo Vargas Leiton, coffee farmer, Costa Rica