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Siobhan

Andrew Ethuru from Michimikuru answers your questions

posted at 11:38am, 29 Sep 09 by Siobhan [ 4 comments ]

Thanks to everyone who posted questions for Andrew and Alvaro.  We posted Alvaro’s responses to your questions last week, now why not grab a cup of tea and read what Andrew had to say.

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Ben: In December the world is going to try and agree a vital new treaty on climate change at the UN conference in Copenhagen. If you could send a message to the conference on behalf of smallholder coffee farmers and tea pickers, what would it be?

Andrew: The message I would send to the UN conference in Copenhagen on climate change, as a tea grower, is that action should be taken to hold accountable the rich nations who are responsible for the current climate change.  They should be made fund the fight against climate change and stop further carbon emissions to the atmosphere.

Michimikuru tea fields

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Scott: How does your partnership with Cafédirect actually work?

Andrew: Our partnership with Cafédirect is a two-way mutual agreement that was started with Cafédirect supporting us to be Fairtrade certified and then started buying our tea. On top of the premiums Cafédirect give us, they also support us through the Producer Partnership Programme (PPP). This ongoing support guarantees a fair deal to farmers and great quality tea to the consumers.

Scott: How was it set up?

Andrew: The partnership was initiated by Cafédirect back in 2005 to support Michimikuru to be Fairtrade certified. Through their support (that took two years) we were eventually Fairtrade certified in July 2007 and Cafédirect immediately started buying tea from us – which they couldn’t do before we were Fairtrade certified.

Scott: Who manages it and how?

Andrew: The partnership is managed by both Cafédirect and Michimikuru through continued tea purchases and ongoing support. As well as the PPP support there is also the AdapCC project  (working to help farmers adapt to climate change). The Michimikuru community strives to give Cafédirect high quality teas because of the support, which no other tea buyers give. Producers plough back the money they receive from Cafédirect into maintaining their tea bushes. A well looked after tea bush means good quality tea for consumers, and better prices for producers – its good for everyone.

Scott: How is its effectiveness in terms of meeting yours (Michimikuru Tea Factory) and Cafédirect’s partnership expectations monitored and evaluated?

Andrew: The effectiveness of partnership expectations is continuously monitored and evaluated by Michimikuru and Cafédirect and external evaluation experts who are contracted to perform this role on a regular basis. Not only is the partnership monitored, but also the quality of the tea.

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Eddy: Do you think it is possible for fairly traded tea to become the predominant model for production? If so, how do you see this happening in Kenya?

Andrew: I believe it is possible for fairly traded tea and coffee to be a predominant model for production, because of what we see right now. In Kenya, producers who are Fairtrade certified are enjoying doing what they like most and getting a fair price. Fairtrade prices guarantee continuity which is important. Everyone wants to be Fairtrade certified.  Furthermore, consumers appear to be interested in Fairtrade products more and more.

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andrew-ethuru-director-of-michimikuru-tea-factory-headshot“Here’s my question for you as consumers – What would happen if  consumers woke up to find no tea or coffee on the supermarket shelves?

Let us be fair to all!! Let us all be in Fairtrade!!”

Andrew Ethuru, Michimikuru Growers’ Tea Factory.

Comments

  1. Andrew Ethuru says:
    October 11, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Dear all,

    Many thanks for responding to my answers and question. Scott, I believe the ATO you refer to would be, of course, Cafedirect.

    ‘Every time is TEA time’. Enjoy your cup of Tea.

  2. Scott says:
    September 30, 2009 at 5:19 am

    Sorry forgot to answer your question Andrew!

    If I woke up one morning and went down to my local supermarket only to find that there was no tea or coffee on its shelves, what would I do???

    Ah! Of course!!…Well, I would immediately get in contact with my local Alternative Trading Organization (ATO). Why? Because I would be certain that their partnerships arrangements with coffee and tea producers would be much more likely to be more sustainable and mutually-benefical than any arrangement the supermarket might have.

    I would be sure that if there was tea and coffee to be found they would have it!!

  3. Scott says:
    September 30, 2009 at 5:07 am

    HI Andrew,

    Thank you so much for your comprehensive and thoughtful answers to ALL my questions.

    It is really interesting to see, in greater detail, just how Michimikuru Growers’ Tea Factory and Cafédirect work in what certainly seems to be a real ‘partnership’.

    The partnering arrangement you have both developed over the last 4 years provides an excellent model for others to emulate!

    Congratulations to you both!

  4. Rhiannon Mason says:
    September 29, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Thanks for the answers Andrew. I’m not sure what would happen without tea and coffee in the UK. I know that during the second world war rationing and problems with imports meant that people couldn’t have tea and coffee. I think people drank tea substitutes (like rose hip) or went without. But i’m not sure if the current culture could go without – people here are too used to having everything they need when they want it.