The impact of premiums:
Selling to the Fairtrade market has positively impacted the members of CONACADO and their communities. Fairtrade premiums from Cafédirect have contributed to projects which benefit CONACADO members in a number of ways, such as:
- Providing medical workers to give advice and medicine to the members of the farmer’s association in Conacado.
- Providing alternative sources of income: Cocoa plants need shade, which was traditionally provided by non fruit bearing trees. Now, fruit trees are being encouraged to give farmers another source of income, particularly in the three months of the year when there is a lull in the harvest.
- Improving the communal paths to the cocoa fields, particularly by digging ditches and laying pipes under the paths so the workers don’t have to walk through water.
- Providing financial assistance to members where necessary, e.g. loans and advances on payment for harvests.
- Building small aqueducts so farmers don’t have to carry water long distances.
find out more about the partnership between CONACADO and Cafédirect
Angel Gomez,
Cocoa Farmer, Conacado (pictured above)
“Our cocoa sales to the Fairtrade market have allowed us to increase our income to maintain our families and invest some money back to improve the infrastructure of our producer organisation. In this way, we are able to produce better quality cocoa and obtain better prices.”