Standing with our Producers
Mary Popple • July 28, 2021
It is a critical time as in the UK we move tentatively out of the pandemic grateful for our widespread vaccination programme. Our producers are not so lucky, and Covid has undoubtedly widened the gap between the ‘have’ nations and the ‘have not’ nations of our world. Now more than ever they need u s to stand by them.
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We have talked with our producers in South Africa, the Kingdom of Eswatini, Malawi, Kenya, Sri Lanka and India to try to comprehend how their day-to-day lives are being affected by Covid and by political and other issues that have been compounded by Covid. Here are comments from some of our partners in South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini with some of the points they have made to us giving us so many reasons to count our blessings and give them our support, and why it is more important than ever that we all keep buying their products and stand with them.
Our Beer Bread and our Turqle ranges of products come from South Africa. South Africa has been in some form of lockdown for 18 months leading many businesses to close with massive job losses. With donor fatigue and a strained economy many feeding schemes and informal day care facilities have shut their doors and people are worried and frustrated.
Now, we hear of riots following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma for corruption. These triggered further looting and riots, fuelled by the job layoffs and economic inequality made worse by the pandemic. One of our producers says she feels she can speak for all South Africans when she says, “We are tired, frustrated, scared, angry and just emotionally exhausted. We (especially those of us in the Western Cape) felt helpless and heartbroken as all we could do was watch as businesses and communities were looted, burnt and destroyed”.
However, as Tayrene Barrett, the owner of Barrett’s Ridge Beer Bread says, ‘There is always hope and resilience even in chaos. South Africa has no shortage of helpers in times of crisis. That is our real strength. As exhausted and scared and tired as they are, South Africans have come together to mend their communities. People are fighting back with care for one another in many ways, from blood donations to providing baby food, people coming together in hardship clearing up the mess”. Read about this in the article Tayrene sent us:
In The Kingdom of Eswatini, a small country landlocked by South Africa, there has also been unrest and protests in recent weeks as jobs go and money is scarce. With the riots and protests in South Africa Covid has inevitably spiked again leading to restrictions again in Eswatini. This causes increased hardship for the farmers and the Eswatini Kitchen factory where our sauces and jams are produced, with production stopping and starting and loss of income for all.
As we approach the crucial COP26 conference in November in Glasgow, we are all aware of the impact of climate change globally. The carbon footprint of our smallholder farmers and producers is tiny compared to ours, yet they are the people who will suffer most. We are together and individually part of the hope for the future for Tayrene and the workers and farmers who supply Barrett’s Ridge, and all our partners. We ask you to help us stand by our producers in these increasingly difficult times for them. Keep buying fairly traded goods and help us all build back a fairer world. Please ask your friends directly and on social media to do the same.
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A Fair Trade stall is about so much more than selling tea, coffee and chocolate. Every purchase supports smallholder farmers and producers who are working incredibly hard to build sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change, rising fuel costs and an unpredictable global market. For many of the communities we work with, having reliable customers is essential. By running a True Origin stall at your church, you become part of that support network, helping to create regular demand for products that often aren't available in supermarkets or high street shops. Whether your church is passionate about global justice, caring for creation or simply making a practical difference, a Fair Trade stall is a simple but powerful way to turn those values into action. Start Small You don't need a huge team or a large budget to get started. Begin by talking with your church leaders about the idea. Many churches are happy to provide a small loan or donation to purchase initial stock, particularly if it can be repaid gradually as sales grow. Remember that most of the income from a stall is best reinvested into buying more stock rather than raising money for church funds. This helps keep the stall sustainable and ensures producers continue to receive orders. If you're new to running a stall, don't worry, you won't be on your own. The True Origin team and experienced Fair Traders are always happy to share advice and practical tips.
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