the area. For example, Volcafe was referred to in Montecarlo (5Â), Quizarrá (1Â),
and Santa Marta (1Â). CoopeCedral (1Â in San Francisco and 1Â in Santa Marta)
and others, such as CENADA, were also mentioned. Animals were sold at auction
(9%). In some cases, products were sold locally to other people (12%) and to family
and neighbours or other farmers. A woman’s organisation (Amacobas) also
supported agricultural production in at least a couple of cases in Quizarrá. In one
known instance, produce (vegetables) was being sold at the supermarket and local
school. Sometimes people were producing – either partly or wholly – for their own
consumption (11%).
5.4.4 Q4: Are You Participating in Fair Trade or Organic
Farming?
Eighty percent of the farmers who participated in this study responded ‘No’ to this
question. Only 18% of farmers participated in some way (either partly or wholly).
Most of them needed this question to be elaborated and the author suspects that more
than the three participants noted in Table 5.6 were unfamiliar with ‘Fair Trade’ in
particular. This could be because Fair Trade is only possible with cooperatives, so
that a single family cannot usually be certified Fair Trade. Therefore, they were not
engaging with Fair Trade as a household, or perhaps they did not recognise it by
name (as Fair Trade).
Some farmers did express an interest in practising organic farming. However, as
stated by SE01: ‘Organic products need more money, time, and people and [they are]
more difficult to sell, as there is no market to sell locally’. Another participant
(QA13) wanted to establish an organic farm, so did not use a lot of chemicals, but
found that it is difficult; and hoped that in 2 years they could produce organic
vegetables. Others (e.g., QA17), were of the opinion that, ‘there is no profit to
produce organic coffee’. Another participant (QA19) noted that, ‘it is better, but no;
it is hard to be organic, [and] people need convincing’. For example, in the case of
SF12 – who expressed that, ‘if [one] wants to make land organic, [they need to
produce] less because trees grow so fast; so, it is necessary to use both organics and
chemicals’. At least six individuals desired to become more organic in their farming
practice, while some 10 already used organic farming.
Table 5.6 Summary of Fair
Trade and organic farming
results (n ¼ 120)
Yes
No
Does not know
21 (17.5%)
96 (80.0%)
3 (2.5%)
5.4 Follow-up Interviews
77
and Santa Marta (1Â). CoopeCedral (1Â in San Francisco and 1Â in Santa Marta)
and others, such as CENADA, were also mentioned. Animals were sold at auction
(9%). In some cases, products were sold locally to other people (12%) and to family
and neighbours or other farmers. A woman’s organisation (Amacobas) also
supported agricultural production in at least a couple of cases in Quizarrá. In one
known instance, produce (vegetables) was being sold at the supermarket and local
school. Sometimes people were producing – either partly or wholly – for their own
consumption (11%).
5.4.4 Q4: Are You Participating in Fair Trade or Organic
Farming?
Eighty percent of the farmers who participated in this study responded ‘No’ to this
question. Only 18% of farmers participated in some way (either partly or wholly).
Most of them needed this question to be elaborated and the author suspects that more
than the three participants noted in Table 5.6 were unfamiliar with ‘Fair Trade’ in
particular. This could be because Fair Trade is only possible with cooperatives, so
that a single family cannot usually be certified Fair Trade. Therefore, they were not
engaging with Fair Trade as a household, or perhaps they did not recognise it by
name (as Fair Trade).
Some farmers did express an interest in practising organic farming. However, as
stated by SE01: ‘Organic products need more money, time, and people and [they are]
more difficult to sell, as there is no market to sell locally’. Another participant
(QA13) wanted to establish an organic farm, so did not use a lot of chemicals, but
found that it is difficult; and hoped that in 2 years they could produce organic
vegetables. Others (e.g., QA17), were of the opinion that, ‘there is no profit to
produce organic coffee’. Another participant (QA19) noted that, ‘it is better, but no;
it is hard to be organic, [and] people need convincing’. For example, in the case of
SF12 – who expressed that, ‘if [one] wants to make land organic, [they need to
produce] less because trees grow so fast; so, it is necessary to use both organics and
chemicals’. At least six individuals desired to become more organic in their farming
practice, while some 10 already used organic farming.
Table 5.6 Summary of Fair
Trade and organic farming
results (n ¼ 120)
Yes
No
Does not know
21 (17.5%)
96 (80.0%)
3 (2.5%)
5.4 Follow-up Interviews
77