1. Briefing On Small Island Economies
Mauritius
April 23, 24 2012
PRESENTATION
By Renwick E. A. Rose

2. 1. VULNERABILITY OF SMALL ISLAND
ECONOMIES:
• Physical, climate etc.
• Legacies of underdevelopment
• The trade trap as primary producers and price-
takers
• Disadvantaged by the lack of policy
space/decision making

3. 2. THE BANANA EXPERIENCE
• Monocrop dependency (exports accounting
for 20/25% GDP in early nineties)
• Victims of global banana wars, cut-throat
competition, market collapse
• Search for alternatives

4. 3. THE FAIRTRADE EXPERIENCE
• Began 2000 as very limited groups
• Expand to over 90% exports
• Guaranteed minimum price, negotiated
• Environmental benefits (below)
• Not just production but price
• Empowerment-trade literacy, negotiating skills,
moving up the value chain, assuming control of
industry
• Seeking to expand to non-banana production

5. 3. THE FAIRTRADE EXPERIENCE contd
• The Environmental Experience
• Environmental protection
• This main elements of the Fairtrade principles and
criteria are the protection of the environment and
social equity. In this regard, the main activities focused
on protection of the environment by developing
structures and approaches to managing issues such
agrochemical use, waste collection and disposal, soil
erosion etc. The education of the producers on
environmental protection was fundamental to this
process.

6. Environmental experience
• 1) The on-going training and awareness effort to promote good
agricultural practices such as the linking of regular soil testing with
the application of farm input needs and disease control such a
nematodes and soil pH levels.
• 2) The education and training in organisational management and
leadership skills have helped to build capacity at the group and
national level which complements the new period of greater
farmers’ organisation involvement in the management
• of the industry .
• 3) The training for certification purposes (both fairtrade and
GLOBALGAP) have been central to keeping the producers
certification status, thus securing their livelihood. Some of these
training programmes such as those in health and hygiene and first
aid are also positive life skills useful to the individual, families and
the communities.

7. The Environmental experience contd
• 4) The establishment of demonstration plots and
the farm exchange programme is playing a
positive role in highlighting issues of field
maintenance, environmental management,
quality control etc. These are important to the
efforts to have banana production practices more
environmentally friendly and sustainable.
• a) Services provided by WINFA and National
Fairtrade Organisations (NFTOs) to ensure that
this is done include; provision of training in
Health and Hygiene and First Aid.

8. The Environmental experience contd
• b) The WINFA Fairtrade Unit also works with the NFTOs to provide
respirators, first Aid Kits, Gloves, and Coverall needed to ensure
compliance,
• funding support provided by the European Development Fund.
• 5)As part of the training and sensitisation exercise the Fairtrade
Unit through this project and also in collaboration with a producer
organisation In Martinique has established some demonstration
and farm visit activities to complement the Knowledge shared as
part of the INTERREG 1V programme. These includes
• a) Establishment of criteria for demonstration farmers.
• b) Setting up of trial plots.
• c) On-going visits to these plots by technical officers ensure that
criteria are met.
• d) Organise farmers to these plots to observe farming practices and
to share experiences.

9. The Environmental Experience contd
• e) Organisation of farmers exchange programmes between
Windward’s producers and producers from the French territories to
share experiences (especially in the area of pest and disease control
in wake of the outbreaks that have occurred as a result of climate
change).
• 6.Training in disaster mitigation measures aimed at lessening the
impact of climate change.
• 7.Network with the National Emergency Organisations in the
subregion in the rehabilitation process following natural disasters
such as droughts, hurricane or freak storm.
• 8.Work with the Ministries of Agriculture and other relevant
stakeholders in ensuring that policies address issues that negatively
impac ont the livelihoods of the rural communities.
• 9.Consumers awareness programme to support environmental
activities aimed at improving the quality of fruit consumed.

10. The Environmental experience contd
• 10.Reduction in the use of dangerous chemical which can affect the food chain and create serious
health problems, such as the reproductive health of both producers and consumers
• 11.Public waste disposal campaign in rural communities and their participation in the exercise, such
as the proper clearing of fields and the river banks to reduce the negative effects on marine life..
• i) Fairtrade Groups notify their members of the time and facilities in place for the collection of the
waste.
• ii) The individual farmers clean’s his/her farm and the immediate surroundings.
• iii) The groups organise a central trucking system to collect the waste from all the farms.
• iv) Solid Waste management Unit accepts and dispose of the collected waste.
• v) Forestry Department and the Solid Waste Management Unit work with the individual Fairtrade
groups to involve the wider community (especially the schools in area) in the wider clean up.
• 12.Setting up of composting plant in Dominica. Farmers purchase organic materials to add nutrients
to the soil in place of chemical based fertilize.
• 13.Gendered approach to preservation of both the physical and human environment by ensuring
that non-discriminatory measures are in place protect farm labourers, especially women and
children. Such as the use of portable water and installation of toilets on farms, and adherence to
the country’s labour laws.

11. Other Sustainable Livelihoods
Activities
• MONTAGUE _ a cross island joint business venture and prime
example of regional integration
• Establishment of VINCYKLUS Inc – a legal entity (cluster of agro-
processors and other relevant business as part of a value chain to
improve the competitiveness and marketability)
• Creating a framework of women traders from St Vincent who
compromised over 80% of the persons engaged in regional trade.
They make up the bulk of the informal economy yet their
contribution to unrecognised.
• Market Access Initiative in St Lucia – creating the linkages between
the agricultural and tourism sectors;
• Restoration of the Pointzfield Sugarcane Mill owned by the
Grenada cane farmers as part of an agro tourism product;
• Possible expansion of Fairtrade product s such as Spices from
Grenada

12. Other Sustainable Activities contd
• Support the River Salle women agroprocessing
project and the Bee keepers in Grenada
• Working along with the women vegetable
farmers in Dominica in Morne Prosper and
Giraudel engaged in organic producted.