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Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance
Collaborative Excellence and Accountability
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
With the arrival of the cold season here in Upstate New York we’ve launched our new
website
! We think you’ll find it more functional, user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. The development was accelerated due to a few problems with the old one. We are now working on versions in French, German, and Spanish, and plan to finish that in the course of 2018. Furthermore, a new and improved producer database is under construction. So bear with us for the time being, and we hope you’ll enjoy the new look and additional features. Check it out at
www.fairtsa.org
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As always, we wish you all the very best.
For the FairTSA Team
Winfried Fuchshofen
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Kokonut Pacific Turns a Crisis into Valuable
Recycling Opportunity
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Our partner
Kokonut Pacific
in the Solomon Islands has been implementing an impressive Community Development Project this year, which is mitigating the catastrophic effects of an unexpected and new problem threatening the main export of these remote islands. There is a major Biosecurity crisis caused by the invasive attack of the Coconut Rhinoceros beetle (CRB) on the palm trees. The infestation was first publicized two years ago, and since then the invasive species has spread all around the oil palm plantations, causing significant risks to the economic security, social cohesion, and political stability.
The results are stunning: over a four year period, the stock of coconut palms has plummeted by 77% - from about 13,000 palms in 2014 to only some 3,000 palms in 2018. Through collaboration and constructive problem solving, the decimation of the trees will be turned around to be disposed of safely while also gaining some salvage value from this Biosecurity crisis. Through recycling dead coconut palms the project will create lumber, charcoal, and biochar for export and local use.
The CRB beetle is infiltrating two of the main pillars of the Solomon Island rural economy, posing significant risk to the other two main species of palm exports. Because of the uncertainty of the actual extent of damage, an aerospace company was first briefed on the crisis. This company donated a time-series set of Pleiades satellite images of the area to survey the damage to the trees. After an analysis of the palm counts for 2014 as the pre-infestation baseline, then other counts in 2016 and 2018, it was known for certain that drastic steps needed to be taken to mitigate the major damage the CRB beetles are causing. Once the satellite images were analyzed, a coordinator was appointed to verify the palm damage via on site visits, establish the costs of removing the trees and converting them to lumber, fuel, and fertilizer, and manage this effort as well as the removal of breeding sites of the beetle.
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In milling lumber and operating kilns, new skills and employment will be brought to locals. What’s being created are building supplies, cost-effective clean fuel for domestic cooking, and fertilizer to enhance local soil productivity and crop yields. There are also international concerns regarding the spread of the CRB beetle. The Solomon’s have close borders with Paupa New Guinea and international trade across the region. FairTSA applauds the responsibility and efforts of Kokonut Pacific in the face of an unexpected calamity.
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New FairTSA Licensees
Agro Sourcing
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Founded in 2004 by Philippe Sendral, Agro Sourcing is a company specialized in the import and distribution of organic dried fruits from all over the world. They travel the Earth, in search of meaningful products, projects respectful of producers and their social, ecological and economic environment. Agro Sourcing builds strong partnerships with these producers, which facilitates quality products to the consumer.
Argan Oleo
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An importer and processor of the finest Argan oil from Morocco. The nuts originate in the nature preserve around Essaouira, Smimou und Akermoud. Due to Argan Oleo’s close cooperation with the producer company they are able to source only hand-collected argan nuts. The nuts are then opened individually to select only the best ones. Apart from complying with all Fair Trade requirements, Argan ensures the workers are paid considerable higher wages than prevalent minimum wage. Welcome to our community, Argan Oleo!
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Our Newest FairTSA Producers
BENCAFE - (Nicaragua) - Coffee
Proexco - (Honduras) - Coffee
PRONE - (Honduras) - Coffee
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Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance
| 518-794-0286 |
wfuchshofen@fairtsa.org | fairtsa.org
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