Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica has urged consumers to keep buying Fairtrade bananas, to help boost the Windward Island’s economy.
During a visit to London this week, Skerrit told staff at the Fairtrade Foundation banana farmers on the Caribbean island were benefiting greatly from Fairtrade.
When he took office last year, becoming the world’s youngest prime minister, Skerrit inherited the task of raising Dominca’s economy, which is heavily reliant on bananas.
He said: “The access to market that Fairtrade has brought means that 80 per cent of our bananas are being sold under Fairtrade terms and all banana farmers on the island have now adhered to Fairtrade standards.
“As a result of the Fairtrade premium, the farmers are now able to invest in their community in the form of school equipment, farm roads and community facilities.”
Skerrit expressed disappointment that the EU has succumbed to pressure to reform the banana regime to the disadvantage of Windward Island farmers but said Fairtrade had helped provide them with a legal way of earning a living.
“Confidence has been returned to the farmers through access to the Fairtrade market and continued employment is promoting peace and stability,” he added.
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