News

9th April 2003

John Bowis MEP calls for the EU to support the fair trade of bananas

John Bowis - Conservative Member of the European Parliament for London – is calling for the European Union to support Fair Trade banana producers within the European market place. Bananas that receive the Fair Trade label, ensure that consumers get a quality product, whilst at the same time knowing that much of the profit will be directed back to the country of origin to benefit local workers and communities.

John Bowis said, “There is a growing consumer demand for Fair Trade products in the UK and across Europe, which is why I am asking the EU to give serious consideration to supporting farms growing bananas on a Fair Trade basis. In much of the developing world, Fair Trade bananas are already being exported from small farmers' associations, cooperatives and plantations in countries such as Ghana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Dominica and Grenada. For Bananas to receive the Fair Trade label, the producers must have met high social, employment, health and safetyand environmental standards, and a proportion of the money consumers pay for the bananas goes back to producers asa "premium" to benefit workers and local communities.”

John Bowis added, “Consumers are becoming increasingly sensitive to the impact that their spending habits can have in other parts of the world. I am calling for the EU to support the Fair Trade in bananas, in order that developing countries may better enjoy the benefits of their enterprise.”