Nia Griffith MP has met Frank Olok, Coordinator of Malawi Fairtrade Network, to hear about the challenges facing smallholder farmers during Fairtrade Fortnight (25 February – 10 March).
The Fairtrade Foundation has launched a new campaign for Fairtrade Fortnight calling for urgent action to support the 500m smallholder farmers who produce 70% of the world’s food, but are currently half the world’s hungry people. The campaign launches a five-point agenda for action and is calling on David Cameron to use his influence, when the UK hosts the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June, to put smallholder farmers into the heart of governments’ trade policy. Frank Olok, whose network in Malawi represents around 10 Fairtrade producer organisations with a joint membership of 22,000 farmers explained: “Despite growing most of the world’s food, smallholder farmers still struggle to make a sustainable living, get access to finance and improve their and their communities’ economic, and, social situation.”
Back here in Llanelli, working with Keith Davies AM and local Fairtrade co-ordinator Ray Neil, Nia is looking to put Fairtrade back on the agenda, and work with local councillors to make Llanelli a Fairtrade Town.