On July 5th, Coliman Bananas and Fairtrade inaugurated the first stage of the “Fairtrade Sociocultural Complex”, a Community Center located in Tecomán, Colima, Mexico.
With an initial investment of 15.7 million pesos, the agricultural workers themselves have fully financed this project. The workers earned the funding for this project through the additional premium they received from the Fairtrade purchases of bananas, administered through the Fairtrade Foundations “Familia Coliman A.C.” and “Don Jorge A.C.”.
The project began five years ago with the purchase of the 3-hectare land. Today, the vision has materialized. The inauguration marked the conclusion of this first stage of development, which has established, in addition to a state of the art soccer field, urbanization, electrical, hydraulic and
sanitary infrastructure.
This project will bring fantastic benefits to the employees’ quality of life and the communities living in this area.
Coliman Bananas is a leading producer of organic bananas. Since its foundation, the company has sought to improve its employees’ quality of life and provide social benefits to their communities.
“Our mission is to nourish the world, and when we talk about nourishing, we don’t just think about food; nourishing is about filling things with life. That is why we take care of our land, the flora and fauna of our fields and, with even more care, our people” - Jorge Aguilar Jr, CEO of Coliman Bananas.
The Fairtrade program seeks to improve market access and trading conditions for producers and workers in agricultural plantations. To obtain Fairtrade certification, farms must meet rigorous social, environmental and economic standards.
Once certified, a guaranteed minimum price is obtained for the exported product, plus an additional premium for agricultural workers. Then, through assemblies organized in their associations, these workers vote on how to invest the money, considering the best ways to improve their quality of life and serve the primary needs of their communities. This direct economic benefit is what makes Fairtrade unique.
In response to the completion of the first stage of the project, Jorge Aguilar Jr said that:
“This project is an achievement of our agricultural collaborators. It is they who choose how to invest the Fairtrade Premium they obtain through the Fair Trade model of bananas.”
The Fair Trade premium generated by the sale of organic bananas has significantly positively impacted the lives of agricultural workers, their families, and communities. These benefits can be seen across numerous areas across Mexico, where producers work for the Coliman Bananas group.
In addition to the center, Coliman employees across Mexico are working on numerous other projects. These are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goals - namely, Quality Education, Health, Community Development, Environment and Sustainable Projects.
You can find out more about this and the other Fairtrade programs in which Coliman Bananas participates at: https://www.coliman.com/Home/ResponsabilidadSocial
