Julius Ethang'atha

While working for the Kenya Tea Development Agency, Julius Ethang'atha, a retired tea producer from Michimikuru, Kenya, helped bring Fairtrade to tea production in Kenya about five years ago. Here is what he says about Fair Trade:

You can't keep all your eggs in the same basket, so we try many things in Kenya. I tried tea. When I was working for the KTDA, buyers asked for Fairtrade. It wasn't easy to become certified, but I saw it was the best way out for our people.

There was a huge impact on the first communities to work with Fairtrade. They were poor communities; they did not have water, dispensaries or schools close to them. The money they got from tea was used for food and clothes, but now they also get a premium that they can use to improve their social living. So far they have set up impressive schools and daycare centres, dispensaries, maternity units, water systems, bridges and roads.

I think criticism of Fairtrade is ridiculous. Yes, Fairtrade only accounts for a small share of the cake, but it is growing. Saying 'Do not buy Fairtrade, because it doesn't help non-Fairtrade producers' is like saying 'Do not eat, because others are hungry'

Africa does not need aid; we need to participate in a fairer trading system. Teach us how to fish - do not just give us the fish. You see, the farmer receives just 5% of the wealth in tea. When the consumer pays more for Fairtrade tea, this extra money goes to the farmer and improves lives. But if the whole value chain was made fairer, Africa would be lifted out of poverty.

Fairtrade is the right way to shop. It puts a smile on the faces of children in Africa, and it makes their lives bearable.

(This is from an article produced by The Guardian, 12 March 2008.)

European Fair Trade Association (EFTA)

EFTA is a group of eleven major European Fair Trade importers. Its goal is "to support its member organizations in their work and to encourage them to cooperate and coordinate." To accomplish this, they:

  • "Facilitate the exchange of information and networking."

  • "Create conditions for labour division."

  • "Identify areas of coordination and cooperation, such as join projects, research, and systems to facilitate Fair Trading with suppliers."

*Quotations are from the EFTA PDF document, "EFTA: Joining Fair Trade Forces", which can be found on their website.

Member organizations are:

  • claro (Switzerland)
  • CTM altromercato (Italy)
  • EZA Fairer Handel GmbH (Austria)
  • Fair Trade Organisatie (The Netherlands)
  • gepa (Germany)
  • Ideas (Spain)
  • Intermon Oxfam (Spain)
  • Oxfam-Magasins du monde (Belgium)
  • Oxfam-Wereldwinkels (Belgium)
  • Solidar'Monde (France)
  • Traidcraft Plc (United Kingdom)

For further information about EFTA, go to their website.