4th February 2025
Producers of products such as cocoa, coffee and bananas also face problems due to fluctuations in prices triggered by speculators. Fairtrade can help, by guaranteeing a minimum price but also be developing direct, long term relationships between producers and buyers.
“Many initiatives in the cocoa, tea, banana and flower sectors aim to improve the social, environmental and economic performance of producers. They typically focus directly on achieving change at producer and worker level ….[However] trading relationships can have an important influence on a producer’s economic viability and capacity to invest in sustainable practices. In the banana sector in Ecuador, for example, more secure contracted volumes enable banana plantations to provide more stable year-round employment to their workers. Without these guarantees plantations are often confronted with cancellations in buying orders, making it too risky to provide job security to workers.” (1)
Sustainable food systems need to protect producers and workers, and this does ultimately protect consumers by better ensuring a steady supply of food.
The Green Tau 