FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT 2012


ADVERTISING FEATURE COTTON ON TO FAIRTRADE


Cotton plays an important role in developing countries and buying Fairtrade cotton means the growers get a fair price, says MALCOLM SEN, Fairtrade Ireland


C


OTTON is a highly sought-after com- modity in the global market andis central to the textile indus-


try.However, the international cotton market is radically biasedagainstdevelopingcoun- triesbecause of enormous sub- sidies paid by governments in developed countries to their own cotton farmers. Thismeans cottonfarmers in


AfricaandAsiastruggleagainst a global trade systeminwhich countries such as theUSwield extraordinary economicpower. InWest Africa, for example,


losses are estimated to be in theregionofUS$250mayearas a resultofUSandEUsubsidies. Cotton is of crucial signifi-


cance to several developing countries.Out of the65 cotton- producing countries in 2007/2008, 52 were develop- ing countries. Out of these, 21 were indexed by the UN as being among the least devel-


oped countries in the world (LDCs). Farmerswhosell their cotton


onFairtrade terms are guaran- teedaminimumprice that cov- ers the average cost of productionandallows themto make a decent living. The Fairtrade minimum


price for organic cotton is around 20pc higher than the Fairtrade conventional mini- mumprice.Fairtrade alsopays apremium– ‘theFairtradepre- mium’ – above this minimum price,whichisoftenusedby co- operatives to invest in social, health and educational proj- ects that benefit the local com- munity. For example, Agrocel Pure


andFairCottonGrowersAsso- ciation, a small farmer co-oper- ative inGujarat, India, received aFairtradepremiumof$34,299 for its salesofFairtrade-certified cottonbetweenDecember2008 andApril2009.Thiswas invest- edinarangeofprojects, includ-


‘Farmers who sell their cotton on Fairtrade terms are guaranteed a minimum price that allows them to make a decent living’


Samatha Valluri, visitor during Fairtrade Fortnight, carrying Indian cotton


ing farmer training, medical relief andwater conservation. Fairtradebringsenvironmen-


tal benefits too. The Fairtrade cotton standards prohibit the use of genetically modified seeds and restrict the use of agrochemicals.


In addition, Fairtrade is


encouraging cotton farmers to diversify into other products. Fairtrade-certifiedcottonfarm- ers in Mali, West Africa, for example, are now increasing production of maize so that they arenot entirelydependent


on cotton. Buying Fairtrade-certified


cotton assures the consumer that thepersonat the very bot- tom of the supply chain, who has grownthe cotton,hasbeen paid a fair price for his crop. Fairtrade cotton products


currently available include jeans, T-shirts, socks, school uniforms, workwear, baby clothes andunderwear, aswell as bed linen and toiletry items such as cotton buds. These products can be


bought inspecialist shops or in retail outlets suchasTesco and Marks&Spencer. Anumber of companies also


sell theirFairtrade-certifiedcot- tonproducts throughtheirweb- site – a list is available at fairtrade.ie/cotton.


THE COCOA PLAN February 27 - March 11


Fairtrade-certified KitKats have been a driving force behind the improvement in the lives of farmers on the Ivory Coast


AROUND20million four-fin- ger FairtradeKitKat bars have been sold in Ireland since they became Fairtrade-certified in 2009. AsNestlé countrymanager


5 CENTS FROM EVERY COFFEE, TEA & HOT CHOCOLATE SOLD


WE’RE DONATING


FUNDS RAISED BY INSOMNIA DURING FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT GO DIRECTLY TO TWO NOMINATED INSOMNIA PROJECTS OF THE OROMIA COFFEE FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE UNION ETHIOPIA:


1. GIRL’S EMPOWERMENT IN SCHOOLS Support 75 most vulnerable girls from 3 selected high schools


2. LIBRARY SUPPORT Improve the level of quality education through school libraries


With a total reach of 2940 students and 90 teachers & supportive staff and a total budget of €19,500 to date.


www.insomnia.ie


OUR FAIRTRADE PROJECTS HERE


MORE ABOUT FIND OUT


for Ireland Oliver Sutherland explains, Fairtrade certifica- tion of KitKat followed the launch ofNestlé’s globalCocoa Planwhich sees a¤72minvest- ment until 2019 via pro- grammes that address the key economic, social and environ- mental issues facing cocoa farming communities. Sales of Fairtrade KitKats


have helped facilitate long- term direct commitments to cocoa co-operatives, includ- ing additional payments for the farmers to invest in their communities or business development projects of their own choice, such as improving healthcare and schools. “Certifying our biggest con-


fectionery brand brings to life a shared ambition between Nestlé and Fairtrade to empower Ivorian cocoa farm- ers to help themimprove their lives in return for high-quali- ty cocoa,” says Sutherland. “The Cocoa Plan covers all


aspects of the cocoa bean jour- ney, from farms through to the consumer. Since it started in 2010, we’ve been assisting nine co-operatives in the Ivory


Oliver Sutherland, Nestlé country manager for Ireland


Coast. That has since risen to 24 and in July 2011we extend- ed the plan to Indonesia. “There we’re working with


10,000 farmers to help them increase cocoa productivity by


30pc by 2015. The plan aims to deliver 12 million more pro- ductive cocoa trees to the Ivory Coast and other regions.” Seewww.thecocoaplan.com formore details.


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