Kozel Fraser, WINFA coordinator (Windward Islands Farmers Association) will be in Portugal from 31st October until 4th November 2016 as speaker of small producers and plantation workers of the international “Make Fruit Fair” campaign. The aim is to raise awareness towards the importance of human rights and environmental rights in sustainable production as well as consumption, one of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2030.
Kozel Fraser will meet one of the main Portuguese retailers – Jerónimo Martins group – the Portuguese speaking consumers choices in CONSUMARE, discuss workers rights in CGTP and have an insight on how civil society is promoting in Portugal tropical fruit fair practices with the Portuguese Platform of NGDOs. On the 4th of November, at 09:30, it is foreseen the participation in the International Seminar “Local Authorities towards 2030: dialogues for development”, in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon, with an open debate session for citizens at 15h30. Free entrance with previous registration.
Tropical fruit workers, in particular concerning bananas, are often not protected against the intensive use of toxic agrochemicals, suffering serious health consequences. On the other hand, intensive banana production, in large scale for exporting is turning out to be unsustainable, with soil pollution, water contamination, jeopardising local communities and reducing biodiversity.
The UE is one of the major world banana importers, producing only 10% of bananas consumed. “Make Fruit Fair” studies (“Banana supply chains in Europe and the consequences of Unfair Trading Practices” and “Sweet fruit, bitter truth”) highlight the impacts of Unfair trading practices (UTPs) within the tropical fruit sector by EU retailers, identified by the European Commission in 2014.
Clashes among fruit buyers with a strong negotiation power in Europe and big suppliers/retailers bring the prices down of the banana in its origin country. A process that crushes small producers, violates labour standards and disrespects environmental regulations.
WINFA is one of the “Make Fruit Fair” partner organisations. It’s representative Kozel Fraser, will give voice to producers and workers of the banana sector and raise awareness for the importance of a responsible production, trading and consumption.
“Make Fruit Fair” campaign is cofinanced by the European Union and promoted in Portugal by IMVF, advocating the adoption of fair trading practices in all tropical fruit supply chain in the European Union. The project embraces 19 UE partners, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador and Windward. Get to more about the project here.