Mr NJ Wijethilleke, age 50, is president of SOFA’s Nawadewita Branch Society, Block 6, which has 65 members.

He is married to Kulawahi, 46. They have two sons, Sibira, 24, and Ranjan, 23, and two daughters, Niroshani, 20, and Dilrushi, 18.

Dilrushi is still studying. Niroshani does unskilled work in a small sandal factory. The job has no prospects and is badly paid. Rs20 from her daily wage of Rs70 is spent on travel. Sibira takes on casual work wherever he can find it. Ranjan is fortunate to have been trained by SOFA and now works in their small office as purchasing officer.

Mr Wijethilleke left the area as a young man to live near Anuradhapura, the ancient city and former capital. He returned in 1985 in the hope of providing a better education for his children.

His farm was originally part of a large government-owned tea plantation that had proved uneconomical and was closed down. The land was sold it off in plots, mainly to former workers, and Mr Wijethilleke bought the farm from the man who originally bought it from the government.

The farm had been neglected and much of it had reverted to jungle. His tea bushes were old and not very productive. They only produced 6-7kg a month for which he was paid just five or six rupees a kilo by local middlemen who came to the village to buy freshly plucked green leaf. They sold it to wholesalers who in turn sold it to tea factories for processing. Tea growing on this scale couldn’t provide a living and he couldn’t afford to invest in the farm. He started a couple of small businesses to try and increase his income. He bought and sold fruit and also bought peanuts in bulk, then packed and sold them. Later, he started a poultry farm to sell eggs. He worked hard at these enterprises but it was a struggle just to bring in enough money for food and other basics; there was never any spare cash for luxuries or when an emergency like ill-health struck.

Then in 1997, Bio Foods came to talk to local farmers. They explained that they were setting up an organic tea company and wanted to buy from local smallholders. They suggested the farmers form a co-operative which Bio Food’s field officers would support by teaching them organic farming methods and how to increase and improve the quality of their crop. And Bio Foods would guarantee to buy their entire crop at a much higher price – Rs27 per kg to the farmer plus Rs4 to the co-operative to pay for their overheads. Initially, around 30 farmers decided to give the idea a go, they formed the Small Organic Farmers’ Association (SOFA) and were given free tea plants to encourage expansion of tea production.

Dr Sarath Ranaweera, Bio Foods managing director, spent much time and effort cultivating organic tea partners in Europe, Japan and the USA. They soon began selling their organic green tea to European Fairtrade markets which brought in the additional Fairtrade premiums which is paid directly to SOFA. The members decided that the best use for this extra money would be to support the expansion of its members’ tea production, so around 600 tea plants were bought and distributed free to each farmer. Mr Wijethilleke was by now so confident about the project that he bought an additional 500 plants. His knowledge of farming methods has improved immeasurably: he now produces 50kg of green leaf each month and the new plants are increasing production levels every year.

Mr Wijethilleke’s farm is a total contrast to the huge plantations of the cool highlands where every bend in the road reveals yet another field of dense, regular rows of uniform-height tea bushes. Here, the air is warm and humid, teeming with insect life, and it’s not easy at first to tell where the semi-tropical jungle ends and Mr Wijethilleke’s farm begins. Then among the fruit trees, shade trees, plants and shrubs, he points out the shiny green leaves of his tea bushes and explains how the recently-planted ones are now producing strong, heavy growth.

But this is the fruit of much hard work, made harder by the steep terrain. It was a slow process to replace the ageing tea plants. New shade plants were planted to protect them and needed careful pruning. Some are grown specifically to deter the nematode worms that feed on the tea. Others, like peppercorns and coffee, have the additional benefit of being harvested as cash crops. As the new tea plants grew bigger and stronger, shade plants were removed when they were no longer necessary.

Because of the steep slopes, soil erosion caused by monsoon rains is a big problem. To counter this, Mr Wijethilleke built up protective walls of small, strong plants with sturdy root systems. He also dug drainage channels to collect and divert the water. All SOFA members must complete a similar agricultural programme and establish two organic compost heaps, plant hedges to control soil erosion, and plant and nurture their donated new tea plants. They must keep a field notebook as proof of the work they have carried out. SOFA provides a one-off payment of Rs750 to encourage good farming practice and to give equal development opportunities to each member. The programme is largely financed by Teadirect, a UK Fairtrade company which sources tea from Bio Foods.

The monthly meetings and ongoing awareness programmes organised by Bio Foods and SOFA have been invaluable. The farmers are taught that their tea will only find a market if it’s of high quality and this depends on the skill of the farmers. They are taught to pick only the new growth - two leaves and a bud – and how to store and transport the leaves without damaging them. Specialists are brought in to explain how to build and maintain organic compost heaps using dung from their cattle and other organic waste. Composting is the heart of organic farming and is vital in improving the quality of the soil so that all the necessary nutrients are supplied and chemical fertilisers and sprays aren’t needed. Mr Wijethilleke’s role is to organise branch society meetings to train his members in these techniques.

Mr Wijethilleke is enthusiastic about the changes since SOFA was created and is optimistic about the future. He says that Bio Foods can’t be expected to maintain its level of support and the farmers are keen to increase their independence and be self-sufficient. They see Fairtrade as a means of helping them achieve this as the support and extra income can be used in a variety of ways.

Strengthening and expanding SOFA as an organisation is an essential part of their plans. They are setting up a programme to train a second tier of farmers to go out and teach organic techniques to other farmers in local communities. These ‘young leaders’, as they are known, will be selected by village societies who plan to recruit well-educated young men and women, often the unemployed sons and daughters of SOFA members. They will also be trained to explain the concept and benefits of Fairtrade to often poorly educated farmers who struggle to understand what to them is a new concept.

This is part of the longer-term strategy of building a strong, successful organisation that will contribute to the development of local communities and provide much-needed opportunities for young people. An integral part is the training provided by the local Fairtrade liaison officer to ensure that SOFA’s structure and practices, as well as the projects funded by the Fairtrade premium money, are accountable and transparent.

Youth unemployment is a big problem both locally and throughout Sri Lanka. SOFA and Bio Foods believe farmers hold a very important position in society but realise the image of farming is poor among youngsters. Many are attracted to well-paid, glamorous work in the capital, but, in reality, this is unobtainable except for the very few. By showing that organic farming can provide an income and the opportunity to start other small enterprises, SOFA is beginning to attract local young people who had previously rejected agriculture as a low-status and unattractive option.

Mr Wijethilleke was elected to the premium committee which decides how Fairtrade money will be spent. Bio Foods is expanding its product range and, with SOFA, is training farmers to diversify into other export crops such as, coffee, peppercorns, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and other spices. The income from Fairtrade provides small loans to help farmers establish these projects, with the individual savings account scheme providing security. Fairtrade money is used to provide expensive agricultural tools such as crowbars, hoes, forks, and pruning knives which cost upwards of Rs500.

The Fairtrade income is still relatively small and has to be carefully managed, but loans can be made available at particularly difficult times such as to pay for expensive funerals or help with medical expenses. Not being able to afford essential treatment can be disastrous – if you can’t work, then you have no income. A new initiative, a free clinic day, was introduced in December 2003. For a reasonable fee, SOFA contracted doctors, including a paediatrician and eye doctor, to set up a clinic in the village. Treatment is free and saves patients the problem of travelling to hospital. SOFA hopes to organise similar days several times a year.

Unemployment is rising so extra skills are vital for young people to gain an advantage in the job market. Mr Wijethilleke is proud of the computer training project which will give young people a better chance of finding a good job. He hopes Fairtrade will be able fund more training programmes for young people in the future. Another idea being considered is to start a bag making business using environmentally friendly coir or reed.

Fairtrade Foundation December 2003

                                 

Look for the FAIRTRADE Mark on products. It’s your guarantee that disavantaged farmers and workers in the developing world are getting a better deal.