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Working together for a fairer cuppa
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| Hannah Eatough, trainee commodities buyer at Bettys and Taylors |
A decade ago most shoppers would look for the items they wanted, glance at the prices, and head for the till.
Nowadays, social and environmental considerations have led to consumers heading out with a more extensive checklist. Before making a purchase, people are keen to find out more about the products they are putting in their baskets. They want to know where goods have come from and under what conditions they have been produced, both in terms of human and environmental practices.
It would be a near-impossible task for individuals to find out these facts for themselves, but for an increasing array of goods, the work has been done for them.
Now commonly seen on products including fruit, drinks, confectionery, toiletries, clothing and household goods, the distinctive Fairtrade logo, mean that a fair price has been paid to farmers in developing countries.
Held annually, Fairtrade Fortnight - which began on Monday - is an indication of how serious companies are about these practices, as well as other ethical and environmental considerations.
We looked at a company at the forefront of work in this area, Yorkshire-based Bettys & Taylors
Bettys & Taylors prides itself on its record in helping farmers in the Third World, and on caring for the environment on and around its farms.
The company is committed to helping the people behind the top-quality products that find their way into its restaurants, shops and kitchens. They can only maintain these standards thanks to a team of hardworking individuals, like Hannah Eatough, who travel the world to give producers a fair deal at the 30 co-operatives and estates used by the company.
Growing up, Hannah had her heart set on becoming an Olympic sprinter.
Those ambitions were not just the daydreams of a schoolgirl. Hannah was a top sprinter whose athletic achievements included the North of England 100-metres champion. As a teenager, she was named in the top 50 women sprinters in the UK.
Unfortunately, injury stopped her in her tracks, leaving her unable to undergo the gruelling six-days-a-week training.
But the cloud had a silver lining, as Hannah began to indulge her passion for languages while backpacking around South American countries from Colombia to Argentina.
A degree in Hispanic studies at the University of Nottingham followed, part of which was spent living in Venezuela, and led to Hannah applying to the Bettys & Taylors graduate scheme.
Hannah, who is now in her fourth year as a trainee commodities buyer, visits coffee producers across the world, checking that farmers are following a special ethical trading code which covers a number of areas including working hours, wages and benefits, child labour, discrimination and general treatment of employees. The "social audits" she carries out also look at the local laws of the land, they check that the most stringent of those are in place on the farms," says Hannah, who carried out five social audits last year in countries including Brazil, El Salvador and Kenya.
The company is also looking at initiatives implemented under the Rainforest Alliance certification scheme, which focuses on social and environmental aspects of growing.
"This examines areas such as forest cover and natural vegetation - how much of the land is covered by trees that are indigenous to the area, erosion protection measures, how waste water is treated, and whether any chemicals are used on the farm."
At present, the majority of growers are not certified under this scheme, but the numbers are growing. "We are moving into the environmental side," says Hannah.
At Bettys and Taylors, 38 per cent of coffee is Fairtrade certified. It is not possible to certify every source as Fairtrade applies only to small co-operatives. Explains Hannah: "An estate cannot be Fairtrade certified."
But estates are still subject to rigorous checks.
In common with colleagues, Hannah has a good relationship with the farmers. Following the annual audits, farmers often thank Hannah and her colleagues for giving guidance as to improvements that could be made on the farm or co-op.
"I can't wait to return to Brazil to see the progress that has been made," she says. "Such as the introduction of first aid boxes, equipment for workers, accommodation blocks, contracts and wage slips. You can see a change in the attitudes of farmers."
The buyers work the Ethical Trading Initiative base code, which sets down minimum labour standards to which suppliers are expected to comply.
Greater awareness about ethical trading and the environment has led to more and more people asking about the background to their food and drink.
"We often get queries about such issues. The Fairtrade movement is booming at the moment. There is a real awakening in the food industry as a whole. With well-known people like Jamie Oliver presenting TV programmes about battery farming, there is a real drive to find out where the food and drink you buy is coming from."
Bettys & Taylors ethical trading manager Cristina Talens also travels across the globe to ensure that the company's coffee is produced in a way that befits its high ethical standards.
"In the last year I have been following up social audits, making further checks and developing projects with growers." New projects which the team have been working on include housing for workers in El Salvador, and childcare centres. "Credit is due to the farmers, who have opened them, supported by funding from us. The centres are brilliant, there are about 160 children - the sons and daughters of migrant workers - on two farms." Staffed with teachers, the centres take children from babies up to the age of 14, allowing their parents to work in the knowledge that they are being cared for.
During the three-month harvest season, migrant workers flock to the farms to find work. "There is a whole belt of migration, extended families come with grandparents, aunts and uncles."
Other crops, such as cocoa, are harvested the whole year round, bringing different challenges.
Cristina has been training with the Rainforest Alliance to help conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods through sustainable ways of working the land.
Water management, prevention of soil erosion and methods of fertilisation are among the areas that have come under the microscope.
"For instance, after the cocoa harvest, the husks can be used to fertilise the land. We use the natural ingredients that nature provides."
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices, which must never fall lower than the market price, Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade,
which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
What is the Fairtrade Mark?
The Fairtrade Mark shows that a product has been certified against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. These include minimum social, economic and environmental requirements which producers must meet to be certified, plus progress requirements that encourage improvements for workers.
To find out more about Fairtrade and to find out which products are available, contact the Fairtrade Foundation on (0207) 405 5942 or visit fairtrade.org.
For more information about Bettys & Taylors: (01423) 877300, or visit bettysandtaylors.co.uk
8:36am Wednesday 27th February 2008
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