North America Edition
More than 1,600 members of the San Quintín community received free access to health care offerings, including pediatric, women’s health, dental and optometry services, in May.
This was part of the first Health Fair organized by farmworkers employed by BerryMex—one of Driscoll’s largest independent growers in Mexico—and elected to the Fair Trade Committee.
Fair Trade Committee members were elected by farmworkers to represent them in the implementation of projects with funds generated through a growing Driscoll’s Fair Trade Certified organic program, which totaled $200,000 in the first year of the program. In June, the same community benefited from a delivery of over 1,700 school supply packages ahead of the next school season.
“It’s powerful to witness the positive impact that our program in partnership with Fair Trade USA has on San Quintín thanks in large part to the passion and efforts of workers who make up the Committee,” says Soren Bjorn, president for Driscoll’s of the Americas. “We recognize the importance of empowering farmworkers to lead initiatives like this to benefit their local communities.”
The Fair Trade Certified process introduces a democratic system in which Fair Trade Committees made up of local farmworkers are elected to represent their communities. These Committees work with all workers who are included in the scope of the certificate to determine how premiums will be invested, based on the needs of all beneficiaries.. The funds are generated each time a consumer buys berries carrying the Fair Trade Certified label, with 100 percent of those community funds being directed back to the farmworkers and the communities that grew the berries.
Through a combination of survey results and focus groups, the Fair Trade Committee and Premium Participants identified three potential areas where projects would be most beneficial: health, education and/or housing. Thus, more than 80 volunteers joined 38 doctors as well as more than 100 medical students across Baja California at the Restaurante Misión Santa Isabel in San Quintín on May 6th and 7th to provide hundreds of medical exams to community members and their families as part of a local Health Fair.
In addition, more than 500 contact lenses, 1,200 toothbrushes and toothpastes and dozens of education seminars were offered to community members at no cost.
In June, the Fair Trade Committee worked with volunteers to deliver school supplies to children of BerryMex employees at the primary, secondary and high school levels. This effort aims to resolve the high cost of school supplies in San Quintín and reduce the percentage of children who drop out of school given the higher costs of supplies required by schools.
Based upon the initial success of the Fair Trade Certified program, Driscoll’s is expanding efforts this year to include more independent growers, expand retail distribution and increase sales of Fair Trade Certified to include organic blueberries and organic blackberries. In turn, more workers in Baja California will benefit from the program and receive additional funds for community improvement.
For more information: https://www.driscolls.com/
Announcements
Job Offers
- Account Manager – North Germany
- Operational Grower - Strawberries
- Retail Key Account Manager
- Sales Representative Southeastern US
- Bedding and Perennials Sales Manager Europe
- Ein- und Verkäufer Obst
- Horticultural Technician
- Agronomist
- Head Grower Strawberries, Norway
- Tissue Culture Laboratory Scientist
Specials more
Top 5 - yesterday
Top 5 - last week
- Thai durian exporter already blocked 100 containers before mid-April harvest start
- GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW AVOCADO
- More dragon fruit from Ecuador breaks the market
- Yet more rain could spell quickened end to South African grapes
- “I hear from our clients that our Gala apple is the best Gala you can find in Europe”
Top 5 - last month
- Thai durian exporter already blocked 100 containers before mid-April harvest start
- "Consumers will happily pay two euros for a Mars bar or can of Coke but not for their veg”
- “Fruit industry in the Eastern Cape is facing a perfect storm”
- Eastern buyers prefer the taste of South African Grannies
- GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW AVOCADO
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2023-03-29 South African Table Grape Industry celebrates 2022/2023 China Campaign launch
- 2023-03-29 Electricity costs up 133% for UK apple growers
- 2023-03-29 Florida peaches waiting on rain
- 2023-03-29 Core organic apple varieties go year-round
- 2023-03-29 “We put all our energy in the offshore melon season”
- 2023-03-29 Later start of California cherry harvest
- 2023-03-29 Germany issues an alert after detecting chlorothalonil in melons imported from Costa Rica via the Netherlands
- 2023-03-29 "More people are getting to know exclusive products like Spanish wild strawberries"
- 2023-03-29 "The rain loosened the natural protective layer, making the grapes more vulnerable to progressive defects"
- 2023-03-29 Strong demand for Tunisian peaches and apricots
- 2023-03-29 "When there are large supplies, blueberries are increasingly sold in 700 g-1 kg packs"
- 2023-03-29 Dozens of hectares of Italia grape variety is being uprooted in Apulia
- 2023-03-29 Increased costs are biting heavily into profits of NZ apple exporters
- 2023-03-29 Turkish cherry harvest expected to start slightly early
- 2023-03-29 Australian apple farmers turn to sunscreen, reflectors to enhance Pink Lady crop
- 2023-03-29 Romanian organic blueberry farm launches new global brand
- 2023-03-29 Australian tech company takes food bowl to the future
- 2023-03-29 Taha study reveals growing potential in Tanzanian fruit exports
- 2023-03-28 South African growers regroup after last year’s blueberry crucible
- 2023-03-28 A look at the South African apple and pear season
