Farmers’ Development Association、Egypt
The Farmers Development Association (FDA) consists of 212 farmers, who grow a wide variety of organic food and fibre plants, all of them under fair conditions and was established in 2004.
Some of their products are certified by FLO (Fair-trade Labelling Organization) against the relevant fair-trade criteria. For some of their products, no fair-trade criteria exist so far.
The FDA represents very different farmers: their farm property can be as small as only 0,4 ha per farmer, but also some relatively large farm with about 40ha are members.
The farmers have a long experience in growing food crops according to the international Demeter standards and the EU regulations and a long history of cooperation with the SEKEM initiative. The farmers of the FDA sell a large part of their crops to the SEKEM companies with long term contracts and favourable conditions like clearly fixed prices, agreed upon before the growing season.
This ensures a high security for the farmer, who knows how much he can expect to earn at the end of the season for a specific crop. A very important factor, which helps to reduce his risk and invest into future project: may it be new machinery on his farm, investments in his house or paying for the education of his children.
The FDA meets regularly to discuss common projects and agree on a plan to spend the fair-trade premium, which they receive for fair-trade labelled products. In the last years, FDA faced some difficulties in marketing its fair-trade products and the premium generate was limited that FDA could not establish big projects. However FDA implemented several training programs with the fair-trade premium generated. The plan for next year is very promising and premium management plans cover health sector with health care, illiteracy programs and capacity building for the association management.
Crops grown by FDA Farmers:
Egyptian Round Grain Rice organic and fair-trade
Philippini Long Grain Rice organic and fair-trade
Basmati-type Rice organic and fair-trade
Cotton, different varieties organic and fair-trade
Peppermint organic and fair-trade
Spearmint organic and fair-trade
Chamomile Organic and fair-trade
Sesame Seeds organic
Beans, Peas and other legumes organic
Various herbs & spices organic
Wheat organic
Various fodder crops like clove organic |
