Good Food Apricots
Community Development
2022
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Good Food Foundation based in the Netherlands is organizing two FairTSA Fair Trade Community Development Projects for their fig and apricot farmers in Turkey. Certification with FairTSA commenced in 2020, with various projects for their various workers needs. This includes transportation to the work site, improvements to on-site worker housing with food and beverage refrigeration, as well as direct payments for workers to support their families back home. With the onset of Covid-19 these measures became even more important, with the projects enabling healthy practices of social distance measures, PPE distribution, and sanitation.
2020 community Projects
The apricot farming takes place in the Malatya region of Anatolian Turkey, with many workers commuting and staying there while they harvest. Workers travel 400 km one way from Mardin to MalatyaThe main goal of this first project was to improve these living conditions, especially hygienic advancements in light of the world pandemic. Additionally, mini busses have been hired to provide workers with safe and reliable transportation within social distancing norms. PPE and sanitation gear is provided to all who ride. Lastly, direct payments were organized for farmers. Many workers leave young and elderly back at home while the harvest goes on, which creates further financial hardship as the harvest season finishes.
Future Projects
Future Projects in 2021 Onward
The fig farmers are continuing to grow the number of drying tents in the field. Meanwhile, based on input from the farmers, other needs were identified including instituting a community meeting and education space, as well as manure fertilizer distribution project. Lastly, a project to organize the education of the women in the village was proposed.