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Can you give me some examples of how Fairtrade impacts on your producer communities?Kuapa Kokoo was set up in 1993 in order to combat the threat of small scale cocoa farmers losing out during the liberalisation of the Ghanaian cocoa market. A group of 200 cocoa farmers from 22 village societies came together to form a co-operative. The main aim was to enable farmers to collect and sell their own cocoa for their own benefit. See the Divine Chocolate Web site (http://www.divinechocolate.com/Templates/internal.asp?NodeID=89716&int1stParentNodeID=89776&int2ndParentNodeID=89707&strAreaColor=)for a full account of how and why Kuapa Kokoo was established. As a result of the extra Fairtrade financial premium paid to the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Trust, a number of developmental projects have been implemented and since October 1998 these have included over 46 water well projects to provide clean water to village communities, over 7 income generating projects for womens' groups, 1 school building project and 1 latrine project. The benefits to farmers has meant huge growth for Kuapa which now has 40,000 members from over 950 village societies throughout Ghana. Kuapa's output now accounts for 8% of Ghanaian cocoa production and 1% of the world cocoa crop. 
Lucy Menusah - KK farmer"Before becoming a member of Kuapa Kokoo in 1994 we were always in financial crisis and we always had our children at home. Now because of better and more timely payments including the bonus from Kuapa I can afford the fees to send my children to school." 
Mary Antwi Nyameke - KK farmerMary Antwi Nyamekye is a 53 year old cocoa farmer from the Ahante region of Ghana. She is widowed with 7 children and has a few acres of land. Mary found life very difficult before joining Kuapa Kokoo, "I was in a lot of hardship. Even my daily bread was a problem. There were a lot of worries on my shoulders." But since joining Kuapa Kokoo Mary's life has been transformed, "People look at me and they cannot believe that I have money. I can now afford for my children to come home and I can feed them." Mary also enjoys working as part of an organisation, "Before I joined Kuapa Kokoo I never had a voice. Now I am treasurer of my society and I can speak!" With Fairtrade and Kuapa Kokoo's help Mary now spends less time worrying and more time doing the things she loves like, "Spending time with my family, having time to talk and dance! I also love to play Ludo." It is essential to her that Fairtrade continues with its good work and she urges fair trade supporters to, "Continue doing the good work started. No other company treats us fairly." And for chocolate lovers Mary's message is simple, "You should buy Divine and Dubble, they are made from fairly traded Kuapa Kokoo cocoa which is Pa pa paa - the best of the best!" |
