Sandhurst Fairtrade Group

FAIRTADE FASHION SHOW October 17th, at St Michael’s Church Pastoral Centre, 8pm, tickets on sale early September price £6

Not so SAD

- the story behind Traidcraft's sultanas and raisins

Grapes are one of the few crops that earn money for farmers in the Orange River area of South Africa, near the Kalahari Desert. Small-scale farmers, who can get the money to invest in vines and learn the skill, can begin to earn after three years. Traidcraft buys raisins from SAD, a company that sells on behalf of farmers with large holdings as well as those with only a few acres. To ensure that the benefit from their trade reaches the most needy farmers Traidcraft charges a premium, which goes to the Eksteenskuil Farmers Association.

Over a hundred farmers live on several large islands in the river at Eksteenskuil. The farmers are mainly "coloureds" with black casual workers. Cape "coloureds" or Cape Malays has been the term used for mixed race people. Many came as slaves or political prisoners from the Dutch East Indies, India and Indonesia years ago.

Those farmers who have been able to grow vines are doing better than the others. There were already some things in place through SAD to help farmers in the area, but the Traidcraft premium has had a very definite effect.

In the first year it paid for training courses, which was the first need identified by the farmers who want to begin growing grapes. Since then premium money has paid for three sets of equipment, to be used by anyone in the area. A moderate hire fee goes towards maintenance. As local farmer Nelie (pronounced Neelie) says to consumers of Traidcraft products: "it really makes a difference when you buy these things".

The photo on the left shows a few of the children from the Crèche which was also paid for by the premium. The Eksteenskuill Farmers Association (EFA) was set up in 1995 and Traidcraft has been working with them since then. They produce raisins and sultanas which Traidcraft use in their muesli, cakes and Geobars.