New Living Wage Benchmark for Kenya

Fairtrade is pleased to co-publish a fourth regional living wage study that sets a new living wage benchmark for the Naivasha region of Kenya. The study estimates living wage in comparison to wages paid in the flower sector in semi-urban Naivasha. The benchmark will also be adapted to set a living wage level for rural Kenya.

The report has been co-funded with UTZ Certified and Sustainable Agriculture Network/Rainforest Alliance (SAN/RA). Fairtrade, UTZ and SAN/RA collaborate on the living wage topic together with other members of the ISEAL Alliance of standard setting organisations, GoodWeave and Forest Stewardship Council, and with Social Accountability International. The research was carried out by Richard and Martha Anker.

Setting benchmarks is just a start. Fairtrade has also embarked on a project, co-funded by the Dutch Institute for Sustainable Trade, to make progress towards living wage in the East African flower sector, together with Dutch development NGO HIVOS and sustainability initiative Fair Flowers Fair Plants.
Fairtrade has a number of other region-specific living wage projects on the go, and is working with local trade unions to support them in the collective bargaining process. 

Read the living wage report for Naivasha region, Kenya here
For a further overview of Fairtrade's work in living wage, please click here and see Oxfam’s issue briefing 'Steps towards a living wage in global supply chains'.

Rekindling Interest in African Vegetables

Vegetables consumed in Eastern Africa include familiar names - carrots, kale and cabbage – but these are historically not part of the continent’s diet. Western favorites have at times overshadowed the region’s gloriously-named indigenous vegetables, including cowpea leaves, spider flower and slenderleaf.

These greens are part of Africa’s heritage and are thought to pack a potent punch, with medicinal, immune-boosting and nutritional properties. They are better suited to growing in the local soil, have little need for fertilisers or pesticides, and are more resilient to the ravages of climate change.

The traditional, leafy vegetables have, in the past, been looked down on; sometimes considered old-fashioned and as ‘poor man’s food’. Now the plants, with their high levels of roughage, zinc, iron, calcium, manganese and Vitamin A, are seen as a way of building food security, as well as a chance to celebrate a rich cultural tradition.

For these reasons, there has been a resurgence in the vegetables’ popularity. A recent report from Fairtrade Africa and Christian Aid highlighted the potential demand for Fairtrade certified traditional vegetables in the Kenyan market.

Fairtrade International recently established the first Fairtrade prices for indigenous African vegetables and it’s hoped this will be an opportunity to protect and rekindle interest in these plants, further boosting their reputation and consumption, first in Kenya, and then other countries in the region.

The announcement forms part of Fairtrade International’s strategy to increase the trade in Fairtrade goods within the emerging markets of Africa, Latin America and Asia; all thought to have great potential for sales. The FAIRTRADE Mark can be increasingly found on produce that is grown and consumed within these regions, as well as on produce which is exported to Europe, North America and regions.

These new prices will help open up the Kenyan market for Fairtrade farmers there – a model the Fairtrade movement hopes to see with more regularity as India, South Africa and other countries increase their sales. There are also nascent Fairtrade movements in Brazil, Argentina, India and The Philippines.

Those who grow traditional vegetables tend to be poor and disadvantaged women, often farming less than half a hectare, in vulnerable communities, and this price mechanism will benefit them, increasing their income and their role within their farming groups.

There is growing demand in Nairobi from health-conscious consumers for specialized restaurants that serve healthy, ethnic foods. African leafy vegetables are perfect ingredients for this market. AMAICA, a small but significant restaurant chain, buys its cowpea leaves, spider plant and slenderleaf from groups of women growers and is interested in working with Fairtrade to help certify these groups. Certification will empower the women and ensure a fair price for their work. AMAICA will also be certified as a trader and become the first in the region to serve Fairtrade certified meals.

"AMAICA is pleased to be at the forefront of promoting these vegetables which are so nutritious and so much at the heart of African tradition,” explains Pamela Muyeshi. “We are delighted to be working with Fairtrade in securing a guaranteed fair price for the women who grow them."

AMAICA distributes the vegetables to its eateries in Nairobi, including its new outlet at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where they are used in various dishes. The restaurant chain has built a reputation as a location for authentic, traditional meals and other branches will soon be opened outside the capital. Other restaurant chains are expected to follow AMAICA’s lead and serve the Fairtrade greens. The AMAICA group, together with six other restaurants, are estimated to use more than 30,000kg of traditional vegetables every month.

Frank Olok of Fairtrade Africa, the Fairtrade producer network for Africa and the Middle East, says the new vegetable prices are significant for Fairtrade sales within Kenya.
“This will go a long way to increase and diversify market opportunities for Fairtrade Africa members, by promoting south-to-south markets,” he says. “We expect more producers to start selling their traditional African vegetables on Fairtrade terms.”

The first National Fairtrade Organisation in a producer country was set up in South Africa five years ago. South Africa is currently the fastest growing Fairtrade market. Fairtrade Marketing Organisation of East Africa (FMOEA) is the second organization to launch on the continent. It opened its doors in May 2013 and currently promotes Fairtrade products in Kenya. It will be targeting other countries in eastern Africa in the future.

Fairtrade is thought to be effective in parts of the world where the inequalities within a society are obvious for local consumers to see. It can also be a real boost to farmers to see their produce for sale locally, bearing the FAIRTRADE Mark.

“Fairtrade certified producers in Africa are keen to expand these markets for Fairtrade products,” adds Frank. “We enthusiastically welcome south-to-south trade.”


http://www.fairtrade.net/single-view+M551b34f8aa7.html

Fairtrade @ Work

Fairtrade @ Work!

By signing up for F@W you will not only join this global movement and increase your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) profile, but also help in developing a more equal and sustainable Africa through Fairtrade.

As a global ethical movement, Fairtrade has contributed to bringing better living and working conditions to over 1.5 million farmers and farm workers in Africa and in other developing regions, as well as improving sustainable production practices in agriculture.
Globally, Fairtrade is supported by a network of schools, universities, businesses, and towns that promote Fairtrade and use Fairtrade products in their networks. This has had a significant impact on Fairtrade becoming the most recognised and trusted ethical certification in the world.

Which Fairtrade products can your company use?
For coffee in your canteen and at your office parties and events, you can find a list of all Fairtrade products available in Appendix I. A regularly updated list can be found on our website. http://www.fairtrade.or.ke/fairtrade-products/buying-fairtrade/
We are also on hand if you require assistance in sourcing Fairtrade products.

How can you promote your Fairtrade @ Work commitment?

Show off your partnership with Fairtrade! Tell your staff, stakeholders and media about the great journey you have embarked on; we will provide you with information about Fairtrade, including facts & figures and stories about the impact you are making by choosing to use Fairtrade products.

Show off your commitment internally:

• Announce your commitment to Fairtrade in your staff meeting
• Write about Fairtrade in your internal newsletter
• Send the Fairtrade e-newsletters to all staff
• Hang your Partnership Agreement in the office kitchen
• Invite us to train your staff about Fairtrade – we could even do a coffee and tea tasting!

Show off your commitment externally:

• Mention Fairtrade on your CSR page with click-through to the Fairtrade Marketing Organisation Eastern Africa website www.fairtrade.or.ke
• Send a press release to your media network, we’ll assist you with distributing it and helping you source key facts to make your news interesting

Online

You can also show your commitment to Fairtrade online – on your website and social media. Use Facebook and Twitter to share Fairtrade news and engage with us.Create a dedicated Fairtrade page on your websiteGet inspiration from our website to communicate what is Fairtrade – www.fairtrade.or.ke Under the section FAIRTRADE IN ACTION you can also find interesting stories showing the impact of Fairtrade on farming communities in Africa.
Whenever you use the FAIRTRADE Mark, please make sure you link it to our website, so that users can find additional information on Fairtrade. http://www.fairtrade.or.ke/about-fairtrade/the-fairtrade-mark/

Use of communications materials

We can share our communications materials artwork with you just tell us what you need.

How will we promote your commitment?
As a F@W partner you will be featured on our website, in our social media communication, in our quarterly e-newsletter and at our events wherever relevant. Please let us know if you have any other ideas on how we can communicate your commitment to Fairtrade.

Connect with us on social media
By connecting with us on social media we can share each other’s information about promotions, campaigns and news. You can find us on:
www.facebook.com/FairtradeinKenya
https://twitter.com/FairtradeinKE

Sinendet Water project constructed by Sireet Out growers Empowerment & Producers Company limited, using Fairtrade Premium

The beautiful green hills of Nandi are a good training ground for the Kenyan athletes who climb and roll the slopes and valleys to win international middle and long distance races.

But to mothers, the hills are a curse because they have to carry heavy jericans of water on their backs from the streams uphill several times a day to provide for their families’ domestic use.

For many years, Rosa Cheruiyot now in her sixties had been travelling over six kilometers a day to get the water for cooking, drinking and washing.

“I used to go the other side, or the other side or the other side around this Kosoywo area to get the water”, describes Rosa, as she points in different directions from her home.

The problem is no more. Thanks to the Sinendet Water project that was constructed by Sireet Out growers Empowerment and Producers Company limited, using Fairtrade Premium from the sales of tea.

The grey haired grandmother now moves only less than ten meters to fetch water from a tap in front of her beautiful house.

A big water tank constructed from concrete, cement, bricks, timber and corrugated iron sheets holds water that serves over 3000 people, most of them small scale tea farmers.

The sound of water dripping in to the tank about 25 meters from Rosa’s house is like a song that cheers up her face.

“I am very happy and I say thank you to Sireet and to God. Look, I am a ‘kogo’ (grand mother). I was tired of walking far away to fetch the water. My legs are now weak. But for now about three years or so, I have had a rest”, says Rosa smiling, amid struggle to pronounce the word Premium, which she says was the money that build the water tank.

She enters the house and comes out with a big aluminum sauce pan. She puts it down and plucks a stopper out of a hanging plastic water pipe that is connected to the tank. The water jets out with high pressure and within less than two minutes the saucepan is full.

“Now you have seen for yourself what I mean when I say I am happy to have water.”

The water is supplied to the tank by gravity making it very sustainable, meaning no monthly water bills, connection fee and the frequent water rationing. The water is captured from a catchment hill across about six kilometers away.

This is part of the community projects that have been initiated using the premium earned from Fairtrade tea from Sireet Outgrowers Empowerment and Producers Company Ltd, which brings together more than 6000 small holder tea farmers, who contributed money from their tea to buy the company.

The company director Paul Tiony says mothers in Africa spent more time walking long distances in search of water and fire wood, and it was high time this came to an end.

“We want to address this problem by availing clean drinking water closer to the community, so that mothers can spend more time doing other tasks”, said Mr. Tiony.

“We urge Kenyans to buy more Fairtrade labeled tea so that we can build more such water projects”.

Other similar water projects include Barasendu which serves more than 1, 500 people and Kaputi which serves almost the same number.

Mr. Tiony appeals to Kenyans to buy more products with the FAIRTRADE Mark to help more projects to the communities.

“It is good that Fairtrade Eastern African is now in place. We hope to see more Kenyans buying Fairtrade labeled products to improve the lives of our people”.

http://www.fairtrade.or.ke/fairtrade-in-action/premium-water-saves-mothers-from-long-water-journeys-in-nandi-hills/

Fairtrade Eastern Africa helps Ndumberi Coffee Farmers on Security, Health & Safe Water

When farmers register successful yields, they smile to the bank. They improve their livelihoods by investing in other income generating projects or just acquire the basic requirements to live a better life.

Insecurity is a major challenge facing farmers all over Africa. For a farmer to have value for his or her produce there should be safety not only for his yields but for his family and property.

Ndumberi Coffee Growers Co-operative society faced a big blow in 2012 when one of its coffee factories was broken in to by thieves stealing around 90 bags of coffee worth 4 million Kenya shillings. This was coffee produced by the 2,800 farmers belonging to the co-operative society.

This meant that the loss had a direct bearing to the small scale coffee farmer because it is the earning from the coffee that the farmers depend on as a major source of income. Such a loss means less income. It was only good luck that Ndumberi Coffee Growers Co-opearative Society have insured its coffee and the theft was compensated.

Using premium from Fairtrade coffee, the community proposal to set up a police post near one of Ndumberi’s primary factory, Gaita factory was fully supported by Ndumberi Society management. A building was constructed to accommodate enough police officers who patrol the area. One room was specially built as an armory to keep the weapons.

The residents are now happy that this will bring more development in the area because they are assured of their safety.

“Theft was too much in this area. I had a farm of rabbits which were all stolen by thieves,” said David Mungai, who has more than 550 coffee trees and also does dairy, goat and poultry farming.

Peter Mbugua, the Ndumberi Coffee Growers Co-operative Society manager adds that it was high time consumers bought more Fairtrade coffee so that the community can benefit more.

Formed in 1961, Ndumberi Coffee Growers Co-operative Society has been producing the best FairTrade certified coffee. It was Fairtrade certified in 2008.

http://www.fairtrade.or.ke/fairtrade-in-action/ndumberi-coffee-growers-co-operative-society-gives-focus-on-security-health-and-safe-water/