Jiangxi Wanzai
Community Development
Jiangxi Wanzai Jinjiang Organic Foods Co. is a FairTSA Fair Trade certified producer of ginger products in Jiangxi Province, China. Since 2014, FairTSA has been collaborating with them on yearly infrastructure projects that will help provide long-term benefit to the villages of Dongfeng and Juifa ̶ two ginger producing communities located in the mountainous Wanzai county region.
Ginger production in china
Ginger cultivation in China dates back to 6th Century BCE, where it was used widely in the treatment of common ailments such as nausea, joint pain, and fatigue. Today, the country stands as one of the largest producers of the rhizome, with 2016 exports reaching a total value of $445 million.* As this market continues to grow, it is vital that producers acquire the means to improve the quality of their ginger in order to remain competitive in the face of environmental disaster and global market price fluctuations. For their yearly infrastructure projects, communitiy members at Juifa and Dongfeng have used premium funds to improve their access to agricultural technology and training in the growth of organic ginger.
These projects to economize the production of high quality organic ginger so farmers can financial stability while reducing the level of demanding manual labor required in cultivation
*Figures from MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity (https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/ hs92/091010/)
Above: Ginger planting in Dongfeng
2015 - 2018 projects
For projects in Dongfeng and Juifa, farmers focused on creating efficient agricultural processes while decreasing the need for hard manual labor. These projects include the acquisition of agricultural technology as well as educational workshop attendance on organic farming. As Jiangixi is a fairly new certified producer, projects will initially address the most practical agricultural needs, but eventually will look towards benefitting the community at large. Each co-op's budget is proportionate to p r o d u c t i o n l e v e l s , w i t h discrepancies between the two coops leveling out in 2017- 18. The projects below summarize the first three years of collaboration.
Below: Water Storage in Dongfeng and Juifa.
2015 - 2016: water storage
Projects:
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Purchase of water storage drum for each co-op. This storage allowed farmers to expedite the irrigation and fertilization of ginger plants to save time, energy, and reduce need for burdensome manual labor
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Seminars in organic crop management, to help improve agricultural knowledge and understanding of the environmental benefits of organic farming
2016 - 2017: Machinery, farming tools, education
Projects:
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Purchase of black film covering and sun shade net for temperature control and weed prevention
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Purchase of power furrow machine for Dongfeng, and lawn mower for Juifa
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Purchase of diesel engine and sprinkler system to improve efficiency and water preservation
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Seminars instructing farmers on the environmental benefits of organic and Fair Trade ginger cultivation
Below: Black coverings used in temperature control help guarantee crop quality and increase financial stability for community members.
2017-2018 Projects (ongoing)
Projects:
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Purchase of black sheeting and sun-shade net for temperature control and weed prevention
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Purchase of power furrow machine for Dongfeng, and lawn mower for Juifa
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Purchase of diesel engine and sprinkler to improve efficiency and water preservation
Right: Installation of sprinkler system to reduce water waste and alleviate taxing physical labor required in manual watering.
