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
