Aug 26 2010 @ 10:22

Securing a fairer future in Malawi

Chikwawa, along with being one of the hottest districts in Malawi, is also one of the most vulnerable. The area is prone to both droughts and severe flooding – which are harsh realities of nature that impact the ability of farmers to cultivate quality crops and feed their families throughout the year.

Despite persistent weather threats, the Chikwawa district is made up largely of subsistence maize farmers – farmers who are producing enough food for their family to survive, but not to generate an ongoing source of income.

Lauren Hockin, one of EWB’s short-term volunteers in Malawi, has been working and living in the Chikwawa district since the beginning of May. Here, Lauren has seen firsthand the challenges facing rural farmers and their families.

“The lives of the subsistence farmers I see here are totally encompassed in their ability to produce sufficient crops,” says Lauren. “Their ability to feed their family, send their children to school, afford household necessities, medicine, and even purchase seed and inputs for coming years is all dependent on the rains,” she explains.

Unpredictable rain patterns make it difficult for Chikwawa’s farmers to grow enough crops to provide these necessities for their families. As a result, they are left with virtually no savings, and lacking the safety net to support them if their crops fail.

In Canada, EWB is working to support these hard-working farmers and their families by promoting Fair Trade products. Purchasing Fair Trade certified products ensures that farmers receive a fair wage for his or her work, and that social working standards are met to ensure their safety and prosperity in the long-term.

Recently, Lauren had a chance to see the impact of Fair Trade purchases in Canada firsthand in Malawi – as she met a couple of the farmers who produce Fair Trade certified products.

Kasinthula Cane Growers Limited is a cooperative of smallholder farmers in Chikwawa who grow sugar cane. These farmers came together in 1997 to try and shift from growing maize for survival to growing commercial sugar cane to earn a lasting source of income. As a cooperative, they were able to get a loan to kick-start this process, an option that is rarely available to individual farmers in rural Africa.

For the next seven years the cooperative’s farmers struggled to keep up with the loan repayments, until, in 2004, they received Fair Trade Certification. Kasinthula’s Fair Trade Certification was awarded only once they demonstrated that they met all of the minimum standards – labour conditions, environmental standards, and socio-economic regulations.

So long as they are meeting these standards, the cooperative’s farmers are guaranteed a consistently set price for their sugar cane. This price is typically above the world market price – a highly volatile number that can drop unexpectedly, leaving farmers and their families in trouble. On top of the Fair Trade price the farmers receive a lump sum premium to invest back into in the community.

Importantly, the Kasinthula cooperative has used their Fair Trade premium to drill clean water boreholes, build a clinic to meet health care needs, and invest in the expansion of the cooperative.

During her visit, Lauren sat down with some of the farmers from the cooperative, and asked them how their lives had changed since becoming Fair Trade certified.

They explained to her that along with the clean fresh water and health care facilities, many of the farmers are now able to send their children to secondary schools, better preparing them to succeed in the future.

“It is indescribable to speak with someone whose life has changed almost entirely due to one single event and to know that all it takes to sustain that change – to continue to create opportunities for them and other farmers just like them in Chikwawa – is for people around the world to purchase their sugar,” says Lauren.

For farmers in Chikwawa, droughts and flooding are inescapable. However, by supporting Fair Trade, EWB is better equipping these farmers to withstand the hardships of the climate, by ensuring they are better able to plan for the future, support their families, and mitigate risks.

Twitter Share