Chai Brady
Chai Brady looks into Fairtrade Fortnight
Unbeknownst to anyone who buys a product in Ireland, they could be seriously negatively impacting and perpetuating the suffering of a person who is being exploited somewhere in the world.
It’s well known that in many countries, particularly in developing countries, workers are paid a pittance to work long hours in sub-par sometimes horrific conditions. Despite extremes often focused on in the media, there are many labourers working in textiles and farming that perhaps aren’t being abused but their wages are so low due to pressure from foreign industry that they can barely make a living.
Making that connection and imploring people to be ethical consumers is one of the goals of Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from February 25 to March 10.
One instance of an Irish person delving into the initiative is an Irish lay missionary who has been based in the Philippines for over 18 years. Hailing from Belfast she has been working on a project that gives women an opportunity to work in favourable conditions making Fairtrade eco-friendly bags.
“They’re managing their own time and they don’t have quotas, they’re also earning a living as opposed to a minimum wage,” Helen Mitchell (ORDER) says.
“Obviously what we’re doing does very much ties in with what’s said in Laudato Si’ [Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment], but I also think as Catholics prior to Laudato Si’ there’s a sense of the common good and how as a community our actions, in the grand scheme of things, affect other people.
Her project began in 2006 and is called Wonders of Waste Bags (WoW). They recycle 80,000 plastic drink pouches a year and create over 2,000 bags.
Awareness
Trócaire and missionary organisations are an example of this she says, and “people have an awareness, through our baptism, of a connection, we are all a community of Faith.”
“So in some bizarre way as a Catholic I have a link with communities in Africa or in Australia even though I may never go to these places so there’s a sense of working towards a common goal.”
Charity work has to be linked with work for justice, Helen says, and with WoW bags they are working towards addressing environmental destruction, plastic waste and Fairtade.
“We work through solidarity networks in Ireland and the UK and all our sales are done via a network of volunteers. This way of working ensures maximum returns to the project which is 100% supported by sales income.”
Speaking about the Philippines she says it is not unique to the country, but that the need for Fairtrade is severe.
“Be the change that you want to see, if everybody in Ireland bought Fairtade tea bags what a difference that would make to the world. We can be overcome by these massive, massive problems: You can end up feeling paralysed by issues like the housing crisis, but it also should be believed that you can make a difference,” she added.
Fairtrade Ireland
One of the main promoters of the initiative is Fairtrade Ireland, who are hoping to get Ireland’s towns, schools, colleges and workplaces on board.
In September 2013, Clonakilty celebrated the 10th anniversary of becoming Ireland’s first Fairtrade town. The purpose of the concept is to contribute to Fairtrade Ireland’s aim of tackling poverty by enabling disadvantaged producers from poor countries to receive a better deal, through encouraging support for the Fairtrade mark.
By 2013 there were 50 Fairtrade towns in Ireland alone. Mindful that the promotion and sale of Fairtrade products has changed considerably over 10 years, they reviewed the Fairtrade Towns Goals in September 2013. Regional meetings were held around Ireland and they found that general public awareness of the Fairtrade mark rose from 12% in 2002 to 88% in 2013.
Schools are also becoming increasingly aware of the need to promote ethical purchases and can apply online to become part of the initiative. There are also resources for secondary school CSPE teachers hoping to further their pupils’ knowledge of Fairtrade.
Fairtrade Ireland have organised the visit of international guests during Fairtrade Fortnight, with one of them being Blas Arismendis Marcelino Guzman from the north-west of the Domincan Republic.
He is part of Banelino which is a cooperative that represents hundreds of farmers and aims to improve the livelihood of small farmers, workers, their families and communities.
The bananas they produce are organic and Fairtrade certified. Banelino is dedicated to producing products that are ethical and environmental according to Mr Guzman’s testimony.
“Banelino is like my second family, a strong cooperative union of committed persons united for a better tomorrow. I am proud to be a farmer and be able to support my family and others to build decent livelihoods,” he says.
However, there are many farmers in precarious situations that are often hit with huge price changes in the global markets.
Project Manager at Fairtrade Ireland, Melanie Drea, says: “It depends on what you’re looking at, chocolate, bananas or coffee. For example for coffee, the world market price for coffee is constantly bouncing up and down.
“So for farmers maybe this week they got a dollar, maybe next week they get 80c a pound, so that’s the way it goes. The Fairtrade price it’s always a guaranteed price that doesn’t move up and down, it’s steady.”
The benefits are huge when businesses become involved, says Ms Drea, adding that well known coffee and tea company Bewleys uses solely Fairtrade products.
“Just think of the person behind the product, this is why Fairtrade works so well, we have this whole movement in Ireland about buying local. I’m very lucky because I live in Wexford and I can buy loads of magnificent locally produced products, but I also want my tropical commodities – so it’s like local meets global.
“We think about Irish farmers, and I think about the face behind Irish farming, but when we’re purchasing tropical commodities we have to think globally and we have to think about the people there and of course this is why we bring the guests over every year. They’re the ones that can talk about this because they’re the people that do it,” she added.
According to Fairtrade Ireland the continued work of Fairtrade is “making a small but growing contribution to help improve the circumstances of over 1.7 million people around the world”.
Their figures state that globally, the extra money earned by farmers and workers in producing countries grew by 19% in 2017 to reach €178 million.
Locally, through the support of Irish companies and people, the value of Fairtrade sales in 2017 increased by 26%. And that consumer spending in Ireland amounted to €342 million in 2017.
They add: “Thanks to millions of people, in Ireland and internationally, Fairtrade is making real differences for people, the environment and the planet.
“On a far larger scale, the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent humanities best ambition to address the issues of persistent poverty, environmental degradation and out of control climate change. And all of us will be required to make significant changes in our behaviours and in our choices if we are to succeed in reaching the SDGs by 2030.”
If you’d like to know more about WoW bags you can contact: recycledjuicepack@hotmail.com
To find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight visit: https://www.fairtrade.ie/