FUW SAYS IF YOU CAN'T BUY THE WELSH ONE BUY FAIRTRADE

A coffee morning and a farm visit hosted by the FUW during the recent Fairtrade Fortnight (February 23 - March 8) highlighted the union's joint campaign with the Wales Fair Trade Forum (WFTF) to promote fair prices for food producers in Wales and throughout the developing world.

Last year Wales became the first ever "Fair Trade Nation" and the FUW announced its support for Fair Trade at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in December.

The well-attended coffee morning, organised by the FUW's Anglesey branch, was followed by a visit to the union's Meirionnydd county president Alun Edwards' farm by Bernard Ranaweera, president of Sri Lanka's Small Organic Farmers' Association (SOFA) - an organisation of small-scale farmers who grow organic certified tea, coffee, spices and vegetable crops.

Their smallholdings are mostly on land which was formerly a state-run tea plantation, producing full bodied strong tea, known as mid-grown tea, at altitudes of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Their production of Fairtrade tea and spices is purchased and marketed by Bio Foods (PVT) Ltd.

"I was delighted to welcome Mr Ranaweera to my farm at Rhydymain, near Dolgellau, and it was fascinating to compare our extremely different types of farming and environment," said Mr Edwards.

"With average temperatures of around 28 degrees C throughout the year, compared to an annual range of 3 to 17 degrees C in Wales, and rainfall nearly four times higher at almost 400mm in the wet season, growing tea, rice and spices in Sri Lanka compares very differently from livestock farming on the northern slopes of Aran Fawddwy.

"While our produce and farming methods are on the one hand extremely different, I was amazed at the similarities between major issues of concern such as water and soil management and at how forward-thinking Sri Lankan farmers are in terms of land management and carbon efficiency.

"Thankfully, we cannot claim that the lot of a Welsh farmer is the same as that of our counterparts in places such as Sri Lanka - farmers for whom necessities such as clean water and basic medical care are luxuries.

"Yet, despite our differences, the principle that a farmer should receive a fair price for his produce transcends international boundaries, and is one that we should all support, whether as individuals or as organisations - and this principle should also extend to procurement by public bodies.

"Obviously, Welsh farmers do not grow tea, coffee and spices and that's one reason why the FUW has linked up with WFTF to support the key message: ''If you can't buy local produce, buy Fair Trade produce''.

"Following this principle recognises ways of supporting small scale producers - whether in underdeveloped countries of the Third World or right here in Wales. The FUW believes Welsh farmers who want a fair price for their lambs in the market should also want a fair price for coffee farmers in other countries."

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COFFEE MORNING: FUW policy director Nick Fenwick (far left) and Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams flank Tony McNicholl and Stephen Roe of Anglesey Fairtrade Partnership during the well-attended coffee morning.