Fair Trade Premiums

In 2006, La Siembra nearly tripled its premiums to producers over the previous year, paying over $140,000 in above world market prices, Fair Trade premiums and organic premiums to producers. Fair Trade Certified sales to date have translated into more than $300,000 in above-market Fair Trade and organic premiums paid to cocoa and sugar producers in the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru and Costa Rica. In addition, as a licensee of TransFair Canada, we paid more than $40,000 in licence fees to support the independent auditing system that provides consumers with the Fair Trade guarantee.

Beyond the value of premiums, La Siembra invests significantly in its commitment to build long-lasting relationships with its producer partners. In 2005 we organized visits to 12 cocoa and sugar co-operatives in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Peru. La Siembra’s many visits also clearly demonstrate the value and impact of Fair

Trade premiums paid to producer partners over the past year:

• Clean water being delivered for the first time directly to family homes (Manduvira, Paraguay)
• New sugar cane weigh scales providing co-operative members assured transparency vis-à-vis local sugar mills who previously provided this service (Montillo, Paraguay)
• New community water systems (CONACADO, Dominican Republic)
• Improvements to schools damanged by Hurricane Jeanne (CONACADO, Dominican Republic)
• Increased agricultural extension services supporting organic agriculture (CACVRA, Peru)

Through our support of producers over the years, La Siembra has witnessed completion of the following projects financed through Fair Trade premiums.

Creation of a rural health clinic in Paraguay	Construction of water towers for village communities in the Dominican Republic
Construction of nurseries for cocoa plants and driers for harvested cocoa beans	Education subsidies and investment in educational materials and school renovation in the Dominican Republic