FAIRTRADE NUTS RANGE EXTENDED
More 13,000 nut farmers in Malawi, Mozambique and India will benefit from a decision by Tesco to increase its successful Fairtrade nuts range.
Working with alternative trading organisation Twin Trading, Tesco has launched two new products; a 200g Fairtrade peanut and raisin mix, and Fairtrade natural cashews in 150g packs. The move follows the successful introduction of shelled own-brand Fairtrade brazil nuts to Tesco stores in March this year. These now account for more than a quarter of brazil nuts sold in the fresh produce category of Tesco, and the product has been rolled out to more than 600 Tesco stores.
The peanut and raisin mix shows a photo of Judith Harry, a Malawian peanut farmer and single mother of a teenage daughter, who says, ‘In Mkanda where I live most farmers live below the poverty line. They earn less than $1 per day and don’t have enough food to last them the whole year. The guaranteed fair price which comes with Fairtrade is important as we make a profit when we sell our nuts and we can use the money to lift up our lives.’ The peanuts are also available in roasted and salted form from Co-op stores nationwide.
The Fairtrade raisins have been sourced by Traidcraft and come from the Eksteenskuil Farmers Association of 119 smallholder farmers near the Kalahari in South Africa. Thomas Kalappurackal, a cashew farmer in India and joint secretary of the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK) which is supplying some of the nuts says, ‘Farmers’ debts have steadily mounted in Kerala. There is growing impoverishment and some farmers have taken their own lives, unable to bear the burden of debt. The guaranteed fair price which comes with Fairtrade is a move away from this terrible insecurity.’
Duncan White, Project Director for nuts at Twin Trading says, ‘The move to widen the availability of Fairtrade nuts for UK consumers has been advanced by Tesco with the launch of these two new nut lines. Farmers in Africa and Asia are experiencing secure trading relationships and have a real say in the supply chain. UK consumers can help them live their lives outside of the poverty trap in return for great quality products.’
Tesco's buyer in charge of nuts, Kevin Patel, adds, ‘Tesco is offering its customers two new Fairtrade nuts products. Sales of Fairtrade brazil nuts, now available in more than 600 stores, have surpassed all expectations and we are pleased to offer an increased, top quality Fairtrade choice to nut lovers in our stores.’
Significant market opportunities exist with these products because of the ever increasing popularity of Fairtrade and because of the huge rise in nut buying thanks to their well-publicised health benefits.
The world nut market is dominated by a small number of large trading houses, with local traders and processors controlling supply chains in some of the world’s poorest countries. Those at the bottom of the chain – small-scale farmers – tend to gain little in return for their intensively hard work whilst their crops generate significant returns to those further up the supply chain. Many nut farmers have seen the real value of their crop decrease year on year and they are struggling to survive.
Duncan White adds, ‘The success of Fairtrade nuts at Tesco shows that the UK public wants not only to enjoy a delicious and healthy snack product, but also to guarantee that farmers in the world’s poorer countries are being paid fairly for the work they do and the crops they grow. We want the rest of the nut industry to take note.’
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