The benefits of Fairtrade: From Ghana to Canberra

Posted on 13 May, 2014

As we recently shared, it’s Fairtrade Fortnight until Sunday 18 May – an annual celebration of all things fair trade and the difference that choosing fair makes for millions of farmers and workers in developing countries. 

To mark this important occasion, Canberra’s only organic fairtrade chocolatier Lindsay & Edmunds hosted a chocolate making course with visiting Fairtrade Australia CEO, Molly Harris Olsen, and Ghanaian cocoa farmer, Esther Mintah Ephraim, who shared her unique perspective on the benefits of fair trade.

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Esther, 28, has worked on her family’s cocoa farm in Ghana since completing high school. Eight years ago, she convinced her family to join the fairtrade Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, a move that’s resulted in a better income.

Fairtrade works by organising co-operatives to ensure trading and quality standards, “[the farmers] used to sell their cocoa to companies that don’t trade with fairtrade …so they didn’t receive any benefits, but when they see us, they come.” Esther explained.

Lively Fairtrade Australia CEO, Molly Harris Olsen said ensuring minimum standards benefits farmers and the community.

“We help [farmers] get their crop to a standard that can be internationally traded. We also ensure there are standards like no child labour” explained Molly.

There is a minimum price placed on the product to ensure a sustainable income, offering a sense of security to the farmers.

“We ensure there’s a minimum price rather than commodity prices that go up and down. We then put a premium on top… [that] goes directly into the community, usually to things like potable water and schools,” said Molly.

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In Ghana, the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, or ‘coop’, invested in things like water, schooling and in womens’ workshops that produce things like clothes as a source of income in the low-harvest months.

“The women make things like tie-dye clothing, bathing soap to make money when there is no crop” said Esther.

She explained that farmers get together to decide what is important to their particular community.

“For example, in my community, we used to drink from the river where there are many waterborne diseases – we now have potable drinking water.”

Esther said her family’s lives have improved greatly since joining the cooperative, which has grown to over 85,000 members.

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After learning about child slave labour within the cocoa industry Lindsay & Edmunds co-founder, Michelle Fahy, said the business moved quickly to ensured its entire range became fairtrade.

“[When] the fair trade issue came up within the first six to twelve months we decided to make the switch and found a fairtrade organic supplier” said Michelle.

All Lindsay & Edmunds chocolate is made in Belgium from Dominican Republic cacao beans.

If you would like to know whether the chocolate you buy is fair trade, look for the fairtrade logo. Or you could just pop into the Canberra Centre or Fairbairn Lindsay & Edmunds to try their beautifully decadent chocolate...