Developing Fair Trade fruit supply chains from the forests of Senegal's Casamance

George Williams

doi:10.13169/jfairtrade.3.1.0027

Abstract

As core certified Fairtrade products have become mainstream in the UK market since the late 1990s, Traidcraft Exchange has focused energies on bringing new innovative supply chains and new small-producer organisations into the wider Fair Trade system. The case study presented here focuses on indigenous ‘superfood’ fruits from the forests of Senegal's Casamance region. Traidcraft Exchange has worked in partnership with two local processing SMEs and 2,200 small-scale producers in the Casamance to develop transparent and fair supply chains for these fruits. The work was catalysed by, but is not limited to, the development of a new range of Fair Trade juice drinks for the UK market. The case study highlights some of the achievements and challenges faced by the programme, particularly with reference to its post-conflict setting. It situates the work within the broader context of the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda and explores how a trade-based programme has contributed towards this aim. Of particular note here are the development of social capital, small producer negotiating power and improved value chain coordination.

Highlights

Traidcraft Exchange has been developing Fair Trade supply chains since the mid-1980s
All five factors are relevant to the case study presented here: fruit supply chains from the forests of Senegal’s Casamance region
Since 2016 Traidcraft Exchange has been working in partnership with small producers and two Senegalese processing SMEs to develop transparent and fair fruit supply chains

Summary

Introduction

Traidcraft Exchange has been developing Fair Trade supply chains since the mid-1980s. Casamance is separated from Senegal’s capital by the Gambia It is a post-conflict setting, where communities are recovering from decades of violence prompted in part by ethnic discrimination. Since 2016 Traidcraft Exchange has been working in partnership with small producers and two Senegalese processing SMEs to develop transparent and fair fruit supply chains. The case study shows how the development of Fair Trade supply chains played a catalysing role in establishing a programme that worked to address some of the effects of communities being ‘left behind’. The challenges should not be underestimated: here Fair Trade supply chain development is just one component within a broader programme strategy that developed social capital, small producer power and increased value chain coordination and efficiency

Background and Market Context

A New Fair Trade Juice Range

Conclusion