FAIR TRADE FRUIT
Like other farmers and farmworkers in developing nations, non fair trade fruit growers have been continually forced to accept lower market prices for their fruit because of large corporate interest. For example, bananas are one of the most popular and consumed fruits worldwide. Large, multinational corporations control most of the banana trade. Dole and Chiquita together control more than 50% of banana production. Reports of unfair labor conditions among large corporate Plantations is common. Most bananas are grown in the Caribbean and Central and South America, and the plantations are owned by U.S. based corporations. Without fair trade, banana producers only receive a few cents per pound for their crop. In Ecuador, for example, the cost of basic necessities for a family of four is $9.60 per day, but workers earn as little as $3 per day, according to TransFair USA. Human Rights Watch reported that children as young as eight work on plantations, and the children earned an average of $3.50 per day. This is 60% of the legal minimum wage for banana workers. Fair Trade Fruit Certification guarantees that farmers and farm workers receive a living wage. It allows the farmers to meet production costs, feed their families, send their children to school, protect the environment, and invest in the quality of their farms for the future. Fair Trade standards assure that strict labor and environmental guidelines are followed by producers. Transfair USA is the only U.S. certification organization, and a member of the Fair Trade Labeling Organization (FLO). The FLO monitors and sets the standards for 17 consuming countries and over 40 producer countries. Transfair monitors the U.S. companies for FLO compliance. The fruits that are covered by fair trade certification are bananas, pineapples, grapes, mangoes, lemons, limes, oranges, coconuts and grapefruits. There are several groups registered with the FLO, representing thousands of farm workers in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ghana, the Windward Islands, Egypt, South Africa and Burkina Faso. Where Can You Buy Fair Trade Fruit?
One of my favorite ways to purchase all produce, including eggs, is to buy COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE or CSA's as their called. Learn all about them here. Currently, there are many more stores in the UK than the U.S. In the U.S., WHOLE FOODS carries fair trade bananas, EQUAL EXCHANGE, SAM'S CLUB for bananas and wine, and TARGET for Wandering Grape FTC wines. FOR NOW, HERE'S WHAT WE CAN DO... --Let your local retailers know you want Fair Trade Fruit. --Buy locally grown fruit at farmer's markets. --Don't support multinationals like Dole and Chiquita who impose unfair labor practices to keep their prices low and their profits high. |
