From 1st December 2010 our hotel sell Fair Trade coffee and hot chocolate in our restaurant and bar.
Fair Trade generally means trading partnerships based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect.
It means that the prices paid to producers -especially small farmers- reflect the work they do; that workers have the right to organize; and that national health and safety regulations are enforced. We also believe it means providing equal employment opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged, being "transparent" and accountable to the public, and providing appropriate financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible. To become fair trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria, including paying a minimum price of $1.26 per pound for coffee (as opposed to the usual 50 cents or less). As a result, coffee growers can invest in health care, education, and their local environment. Exploitation of cacao farmers and farm workers is the norm in the chocolate industry. Fair Trade cocoa farmers get a minimum of 89 cents per pound plus premiums, providing much needed credit to farmers which can then be reinvested in the community; as an example, high school enrollment for farming families supplying Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate has gone from 10% to 70%. Buy something made with hope and love, and help small farmers in the Third World break out of the cycle of poverty.
