Producer Profiles

Finca La Frontera

Finca La Frontera is a banana plantation located in the Urabá region of Colombia. Urabá has suffered some of the worst violence in the decade-long civil war in Colombia. Thankfully, the region is relatively peaceful now and communities are rebuilding. However, because the region is still influenced by drug traffickers, legitimate employment, which offers workers and their families a better avenue to escape poverty, is vital to keep the youth out of the drug trade. Fair Trade helps employ farmers and families in the community and provide fair and stable wages, and much-needed development programs.
 

Quotable

“

We enjoy being in our house to the maximum. It is now more pleasant, more spacious and has more comforts for us to enjoy.  ”

Delio Mosquero
“

We are so thankful. Thanks to you we can have our own home. Even though we are just starting to build, it already feels like something that is really ours. Now we won’t have to keep moving from one rental house to another.  ”

Rangel Barco Cuesta
“

I am very happy because my income has increased, making it possible to give my family a better life.  ”

Freddy Pacheco

Programs

Academic Scholarships for Workers

La Frontera uses Fair Trade premiums to fund scholarships to help its workers pursue a formal education. Workers at La Frontera have pursued degrees to become network technicians and hospital administrative assistants, for example.

A New Field for Community Sports

La Frontera dedicated Fair Trade premium funds to the construction of a new sports facility. They allocated funding to level and prepare a field, plant grass and install the goals and nets for a new community soccer field in the “24th of December” neighborhood. The field is open to players of all ages. In fact, the farm spent additional funding to cover various costs of running a soccer tournament for children, which paid for uniforms, referees, balls, paper and office supplies for keeping track of tournament progress, and field maintenance. Ten teams, each consisting of fifteen children between the ages of ten and 14 participated; all told, 150 children from the community were able to enjoy this healthy form of recreation.

Home Improvement Project

The Fair Trade premium helped La Frontera workers and their families improve their homes and build new ones.