|
| |
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 – Officials in the local banana industry
are looking forward to host a high profile visit by top representatives of
Sainsbury Supermarket in the United Kingdom. Among the top representatives will
be Chief Executive Officer of Sainsbury Stephen King.
Communications Manager of WIBDECO Freemont Lawerence says the visit slated for
early February will also attract international media coverage.
“They will be accompanied by a BBC television crew, so you can see it's a very
high profile visit. In December of last year, Sainsbury, which sells about 1,000
bananas a minute, announced that by July 2007 it will convert the remainder of
its non Fair Trade bananas into Fair Trade bananas, so that opens up
opportunities for our industry producers.”
From all indications, the Windward Islands Farmers Association - WINFA - the
coordinators of the visit, have indicated that the team of visitors will
undertake farm visits.
“They will also be visiting some of the projects that have been undertaken by
the Saint Lucia National Fair Trade Organization, because they want to satisfy
themselves that the social premium that is been paid by the customers who are
actually purchasing the bananas in the stores go to projects that help to
benefit the community.”
Mr. Lawerence says it is important for the grouping to be satisfied with the
Fair Trade Programme in Saint Lucia.
Other UK supermarkets which purchase and promote Fair Trade Bananas include
TESCO and Waitrose.
|
