Perfil De Productor
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Publicado: 20 de abril de 2012
Small Organic Farmer’s Association, Sri Lanka - Producer Profile & Fair Trade Benefits
Profile
In 1993, a small organic farm project led by Dr. Sarath Ranaweera initiated in the central hillsof Sri Lanka on what were once abandoned and marginalized tea lands. More than a decade later, this project led to what is now claimed as the world’s first Fair Trade Certified processor and exporterof organic spices, BioFoods. Known today as SOFA, or the Small Organic Farmers Association (a primarily tea producer which supplies to BioFoods), this organization is dedicated in having more than90% of its total production volume supplied from small farmers, and the remaining 10% from medium sized farmers in the region. In doing so, they are committed to improving the production of small andorganic lands, following the Fair Trade model, preventing exploitation in the supply chain, and enhancing socio-economic standards in this island country off the eastern coast of India.
The successof SOFA and BioFoods can be attributed to its founder, Dr. Sarath Ranaweera, who voiced the situation tea growers found themselves in the 1990’s, realizing their conditions were not fit forproductivity, efficiency or survival. The evolution of their small tea lands towards organic agriculture was not only an alternative method to protect them, but also a measure to enrich their mid-country soil.While obtaining their certification proved a lengthy and challenging process, facing controversial local laws and regulations and a lack of financial resources, perseverance and genuine motivations toalleviate the small scale farmer allowed for the SOFA we know today. SOFA is a fine example of how empowerment of small scale farmers, achieved by uniting under a democratic structure, matched with anincome assuring mechanism, is a positive direction towards sustainability.
SOFA is made up of 36 farmer groups and approximately 2,108 farmer families, working on 5,888 acres of organic...
Profile
In 1993, a small organic farm project led by Dr. Sarath Ranaweera initiated in the central hillsof Sri Lanka on what were once abandoned and marginalized tea lands. More than a decade later, this project led to what is now claimed as the world’s first Fair Trade Certified processor and exporterof organic spices, BioFoods. Known today as SOFA, or the Small Organic Farmers Association (a primarily tea producer which supplies to BioFoods), this organization is dedicated in having more than90% of its total production volume supplied from small farmers, and the remaining 10% from medium sized farmers in the region. In doing so, they are committed to improving the production of small andorganic lands, following the Fair Trade model, preventing exploitation in the supply chain, and enhancing socio-economic standards in this island country off the eastern coast of India.
The successof SOFA and BioFoods can be attributed to its founder, Dr. Sarath Ranaweera, who voiced the situation tea growers found themselves in the 1990’s, realizing their conditions were not fit forproductivity, efficiency or survival. The evolution of their small tea lands towards organic agriculture was not only an alternative method to protect them, but also a measure to enrich their mid-country soil.While obtaining their certification proved a lengthy and challenging process, facing controversial local laws and regulations and a lack of financial resources, perseverance and genuine motivations toalleviate the small scale farmer allowed for the SOFA we know today. SOFA is a fine example of how empowerment of small scale farmers, achieved by uniting under a democratic structure, matched with anincome assuring mechanism, is a positive direction towards sustainability.
SOFA is made up of 36 farmer groups and approximately 2,108 farmer families, working on 5,888 acres of organic...
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