Fair Trade
When trade flourishes, countries can develop and economies can grow. This leads to a variety of offerings that are adapted to consumer needs. Production, supply chain, distribution – the entire system becomes more efficient, thus increasing prosperity. So why change the rules of trade? Because wealth is unevenly distributed and we as consumers cannot see the whole picture.
For over 40 years we have been involved in fair trade. However, we announced recently that we are no longer labelling our products ‘fair’.
This is because ‘fair’ suggests satisfactory conditions, whereas the actual situation is often different. With our trade, we want to have more of an impact in the countries of origin. Hence, we will drive forward our commitment to social and ecological sustainability in a more focussed way.
In part two of our interview with Patrick Eboe, Managing Director of gebana Togo, and Michael Stamm from the gebana Development Team, we talk about poverty, minimum prices and our local activities aimed at helping to improve the situation.
On the 20th anniversary of gebana as a trading company we decided to stop using the word ‘fair’ in future. Read about what led to this decision and precisely why we want to work even harder for fair trade as a result.
Over 90% of cashew nuts from West Africa are transported to Asia for processing instead of doing so locally and sending them directly to the customers. Though this may make sense economically, it is highly problematic in many other ways!
After a terrible harvest in 2015/2016 due to lack of rain, last year's harvest was great. In 2017/2018 it is just.. OK!
Social and ecological considerations are are central aspects of our work. For this reason, we measured our sustainability targets numerically for the first time in 2016.
We ourselves say that we operate in particularly difficult regions of the world. But what does that actually mean?
The cashew growers are making the most of the skyrocketing cashew prices that have come about as a result of demand from Asia, and are selling to the highest bidders — in spite of their contracts with gebana. What do the farmers themselves say about this?
The cashew harvest began in February as it always does, but it soon became apparent that everything would be different this time.
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