Brushstrokes for the soul

I was going past the banana processing plant, 5 minutes before we were due to have the opening meeting. As I walked towards the office, I went over details from the previous audit: two hundred and nineteen workers, and amongst the non-conformities: containers of herbicides which they used for the pathways, management had not recognised the right to Freedom of Association…

- “Don Eduardo”, a dark skinned lady said to me as she took off the hairnet which must has to be worn in the cleaning area.
- “Yes…everything all right?” I responded while sorting papers in my bag.
- “Great to meet you!” and she immediately told me her name, which I never again remembered and she continued.
- “You the man from fair trade?”
- “Well, yes, I am the auditor,” “and you are?” I asked, even though it was obvious that she worked in the processing plant.
- “I´ve been working in the cleaning area for three years”, she replied, “are you here to see about the yonboi (referring to the Joing Body?) housing projects?”
I looked at this slim woman who seemed about 50 years old and in seconds I had to take in her question.
- “Yes, I have come here to do the Fair Trade audit, some of the things we are going to look at are the use of the Premium by the Joint body and progress of the housing project”, I told her, trying not to complicate my explanation.

- The thing is I wanted to see if you could help get me a little house. If all goes well with you, then maybe the people from the yonboi will give me the little house for my family.

- “Well…,” I stammered, “I am here to carry out an Audit,” I explained while I tried to maintain some professional objectivity whilst dealing with this lady who wanted to offload her profound genuine desires.

- “Yes, yes, I know!” she interrupted to continue with her aim. “But, it´s true you can help me?” she inquired: thus showing that she would let go of this opportunity to get her house, not while in front of her stood the auditor who she looked at as her hope.
What a way to start the audit!, I thought. I was being coerced by a genuine desire straight from this lady’s heart. What did not seem right was that in her mind this man was responsible for sorting out her housing problem, and only because the title of FLO-CERT auditor seemed so impressive to her.

- “Well, let’s see how it goes for us?” I told her in an attempt to avoid hearing her housing solution.

- “But, you´ll help me, won´t you?” she insisted with a look on her face between hope and pleading.

- “Let’s see how it goes for us? I am only here to audit. The decision about the use of the Premium is a matter for you, the workers.”
While wanting to flee, I thought to myself that I was there to check non-conformities of a suspension, but I quickly realised that this lady deserved all of my attention.I looked at her and I said:
- “Madam, I am here to carry out the Audit. The decisión to assign a home to somebody is not my responsibility. I truly hope that everything turns out well! And, let’s hope that those projects wanted by the workers can get under way,” I told her whilst trying to be honest with the lady, and decided to head for the company’s office to begin the opening meeting.

Those three days on the banana farm brought more herbicide containers on the pathways, some risk conditions for the transparent use of the FT Premium, a written statement of the Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining of which the workers were not aware and the unforeseen greeting from the lady whose desires wishes I remembered more better than her name.

At the end of Wednesday the closing meeting was exhausting. The tension never once left that room. The non conformities compromised the certification of the company and, this then complicated the sales of bananas. Everyone in the room understood this fact.
During the presentation of the results, I coldly hid behind the objectivity of each of words expressed in the regulations and in the compliance criteria. It acted as my shield against the annoyance of those present. The end of the meeting came with a deep breath and a silent “it’s finished!”

At the end I still had just about enough energy for some heartfelt goodbyes. Finally, I was going out the door to head for the hotel when the voice from the first day said to me:
- Don Eduardo, how did it go?
I looked at this lady, who, due to the intensity of her desire, had the will to wait until the end of the closing meeting.

- “So-so,” I answered. That was my answer so as to avoid telling her the results of the meeting and also to avoid shattering her dreams; although I did not want to boost up her hopes.

- “Ah! So-so,” she repeated while looking down at the floor and understanding that this might not be the path to her home.

- “Yes, so-so,” I confirmed.
As with so many people who I met on audits, I never again knew anything of that lady from the banana cleaning area.

It was always like that.

Reality persistently insists on adding an additional brushstroke to every audit. The black and white of the Report or the Check List might be enough for some. For those of whom the shades of life are important, there is a place which changes with each brushstroke added: the soul.

(A true story in which changes have only been made to the circumstances related to the non-conformities and the certification process.)


Written by Eduardo Delgado R. FLO-CERT Auditor

Here I am, again, auditing in Chile

The producers themselves tell me that they’d, in a second, give me Chilean and why not even Curican citizenship (The people from Curicó, a province of the VII region in Chile where there are grape producers, small producers as well as hired labour.)

It is not my first time in this city, but the sixth. I meet with producers- infrastructurally small, but dependent on manual labour- who I am visiting for the second or third time.

It is interesting to see every year how they change and grow in relation to Fairtrade certification; this is especially interesting at the level of hired labour, how the workers each day have more and more faith in the Fairtrade.

Another substantial part of our audit concerns the Fairtrade Premium, a certain amount of money which means big changes for the workers.
From chats with the workers I have encountered many uses of the Fairtrade Premium, varying from study grants and repairing homes to dental health loans, something which in this country and mine is very expensive.

They mention that they feel better about themselves as a result, and they also say significant things like “now our neighbours are jealous of us.” -¿Jealousy? ¿Why? – I ask them.

-Because, at first, this Fairtrade thing was hard work, but the benefits are now being seen… and as you know, everybody now wants to work in this fund…
Another worker adds, “for sure, before, they all laughed at our Joint Body meetings, and now they ask how we were able to become a member to join in…”

In another vineyard during the same audit, I was continuing to look for possible uses when a worker told me, “We have made a lot of inquiries amongst our colleagues, and many have told me that they don’t have sheets or towels.”
I didn’t manage to conceal a reaction of astonishment, and the lady continued, “yes, many of us only had new sheets when we got married…” I don´t say anything to them, I only listen to them, trying to check standard criteria.

It is only an initial audit, they are looking for probable uses, filling out questionnaires, they show me their notes,… but the first worker is not content with my silence, he looks at me directly and says to me - Does the same not happen to you, miss? -I try and get away from this question and only manage to say, that no, that I’m single and the man asks me again…–
- But, do you have sheets, then?

This simplicity of the workers and their innocence when taking part in the audit makes the Premium no longer a fixed monetary value for each product unit; instead, it becomes another way of aiding the growth of the beneficiaries of this chain we call Fairtrade; a way of meeting of their necessities, desires and need to improve every day; and the best of all, a response given by them themselves.

Written by Maria Laura Bardotti, FLO-CERT's Auditor living in Argentina