r be em pt Se 08 20
FAIR TRADE: Betterday in Vietnam CLIMATE CHANGE: Adapting to early floods in Bangladesh CHINA EARTHQUAKE: One community helping another AFRICA and EUROPE: Working for a fair partnership
A writer-photographer of German-
When I first arrived in Hong Kong,
American descent, I have been living in
late at night, on the day after voting in
Asia for twenty years now: this autumn
the 1988 United States elections, there
BETTERDAY
marks the anniversary.
were small red-lit shrines visible from
By Madeleine Marie Slavick
Much of my sense of home and com-
the metal gates of everyone’s very small
munity in Hong Kong revolves around
apartments in very high-rise buildings.
In Vietnamese, there is no trans-
to processing to packaging and sell-
Oxfam: there has been significant in-
I thought to myself: will this ever
lation for ‘social enterprise’ and the
ing. They provide quality and healthy
Hanoi-based company ‘Betterday’
food items – cashew, tea and coffee –
spiration and satisfaction in being able
feel like ‘home’?
to work alongside extraordinary people
Yes, there is a definite sense of
has no name in the language. Yet,
grown in six provinces across Vietnam.
for thirteen years. My colleagues work
home, although I do not keep a shrine,
“Betterday” is the brand name of the
All of the farmers they work with live
long and hard to create a little bit more
and my arm-span is wider than my
100 per cent Vietnamese owned com-
below the international poverty line
justice, equity, peace and community
home-office. I have circles of friends,
pany MDI Jsc.
of US$1 day; most are ethnic minor-
every day.
appreciate many aspects of Chinese
This speaks of some of the chal-
ity people; and many live in remote
I remember the first time I visited a
culture, and know the streets and vil-
lenges that this new company faces
village in Vietnam, in 1995: we endured
lages here. I vote, pay taxes, and have
every day: most people in Vietnam
mountainous regions. These 1,000 or so farmers working
hours and hours of rutty roads or long
a landlord.
do not know what ‘Fair Trade’ means.
with Betterday belong to groups with
hours in a canoe to reach project sites.
At the same time, I ask, what is
“Maybe we’re a little crazy,” say
as few as 14 members to as many as
Poverty was severe, as seen in disease,
‘home’ and ‘community’ and where
Nguyen Tuyet Minh and Dominic
100. The main requirement is that the
hunger, and sub-standard schools and
are the boundaries? To me, the sto-
Smith, who “used to have good-pay-
groups adhere to Fair Trade principles
clinics. O.N.E features a new social en-
ries in Vietnam and Shimen show that
ing jobs” but now volunteer their time
such as equal participation, gender
terprise in Vietnam that works to im-
everywhere is home, and that there is
for Betterday. “But we really believe
equity, eco-friendly farming and no
prove the livelihoods of farmers who
no community too remote for equity
that the principles of Fair Trade will
child labour. Betterday also looks for
grow high-quality tea, coffee and ca-
and equality. In northeast Bangladesh,
lead to sustainable development of
a sense of enthusiasm and determina-
shews in impoverished communities
too, as O.N.E reveals, farmers are
the country. We want to show that
tion: will the group be worth their in-
like these. It is the world’s first Fair
working to protect themselves against
it can work in a developing country.”
vestment, of providing technical agri-
Trade brand in a developing country,
the global changes in the climate.
Minh, Director and Founder, has
cultural assistance, management skills
and Oxfam has supported the growth
Across rural Africa, farmers are fighting
more than ten years of management
training, marketing support and infra-
against the unfair Economic Partnership
experience in marketing, and anoth-
structural expenses, such as for space
Agreements with Europe.
er five years of high-level positions
for drying and storing goods.
of ‘Betterday’. The first trip to China, in 1998, was in the mountains of the southwest: Shimen was rainy and cold even though
Yes, everywhere is home: one circle of community.
it was summertime, and the people I met worked extremely hard to make a living by growing potato, mining coal,
Madeleine Marie Slavick Editor, O.N.E
with NGOs. Vietnam has been her fo-
Tea picking tends to be done by
cus. Dominic, Agricultural Economic
women, cashew by men, and cof-
Advisor with Betterday, has seventeen
fee by both. Tea traditionally uses
years of experience across Asia, and
the most pesticides, up to 25 sprays
another eight in Vietnam.
per growing season. (Betterday tea
and herding sheep. Thirteen years later,
Betterday has already made its
is all organic, with no chemical pes-
Shimen farmers are in a healthy finan-
mark as the first internationally li-
ticides or insecticides used. Instead,
cial position to be donating thousands
censed Fair Trade brand located in a
a mixture of ginger, chili, garlic and
of Yuan to Oxfam’s earthquake effort
developing country. It is involved with
water is sometimes used.) Cashews
in Sichuan.
the whole supply chain, from farming
processing can be toxic and requires
Fair Trade cashew farmers (top) and Fair Trade tea farmers (bottom), who are Hmong minority people / photos cortesy of Betterday
in Vietnam
protective clothing, which Betterday
Betterday’s coffee is all high-quality
ers there, making it their tenth farmer
provides as a responsible Fair Trader,
Arabica, from the mountains near the
even though Vietnamese law does
Laos border. Compared to coffee, there
While Minh and Dominic were in
not require it. Coffee cherries must be
is not a lot of Fair Trade cashews on the
Hong Kong, they met with a number
picked when they are a deep red, and
world market (only about 30 tonnes of
of buyers and retailers, with whom they
a lot of time and hands are needed to
Fair Trade cashew, compared to about
hope to do business. (Currently, most of
separate out the unripe and overripe
30,000 tonnes of coffee), and most of
their buyers are in Europe.) They also re-
ones. September is coffee harvest time
Betterday’s cashews go to an importer
connected with James Cheng, a Year 3
in Vietnam.
in The Netherlands.
university student who as an intern de-
group.
(Left) Minh and her colleagues at the launch of Betterday Fair Trade tea in Vietnam (Right) Minh and Dominic
Vietnam has a reputation for making
Minh and Dominic recently exhibited
signed their new leaflet and logo, and
fine tea. Betterday’s jasmine tea, for in-
their Fair Trade products at the Hong
may design a poster soon. “Betterday
stance, comes from the spring harvest,
Kong Food Expo. Oxfam Hong Kong
is a good, small company, like a family.
will soon open a showroom which will
with the freshly picked night-opened
supported their participation at the
They treated me like a son. It felt like a
also house their factory, storage facility
white flowers added for a peaceful
Expo, their launch of tea in Vietnam in
second home.”
and office. And it will be the place for
scent. They started with green, loose
December 2007, and a trip to meet tea
MDI Jsc. was set up in April 2007, ,
to promote the vision of their Betterday
tea, and now make tea bags of green
farmers in Nghe An, Central Vietnam,
and their first Betterday product was
products and other Fairtrade products
and black. They dream of making dif-
where Oxfam has been working for
launch in December 2007. They hope
to consumers in Vietnam.
ferent types of packaged tea in the
over a decade. Betterday may begin a
to be able to break even by April 2010.
future.
new Fair Trade contract with the farm-
They have made many investments and
THE FLOODS ARE CHANGING: SOONER IS NOT BETTER
in Vietnam
For more about Betterday, please visit: www.betterday.com.vn/
project has been carried out by the
could shorten the cycle of BRRI 29, a
Center for Natural Resource Studies,
popular variety of rice, by about 15-20
with assistance from the Bangladesh
days. The rice usually needs 165 days
Agriculture Research Institute and
from sowing to harvesting, but now
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, two
only about 145 days. Another type of
national institutions with technical ex-
rice, BRRI 45, with an even shorter cy-
and putting the already unstable liveli-
pertise and experienced personnel who
cle, was found to be appropriate for
hoods of people at even greater risk. In
could assist farmers to adjust their crop-
the haor as it can be harvested before
Sunamganj District, where about eighty
ping patterns.
the floods arrive. The experimentation
By M. Anisul Islam and Mokhlesur Rahman Suman
per cent of the people are landless and
With the support of the two in-
also found that using 40kg potassium
work as sharecroppers or labourers,
stitutes as well as from Oxfam Hong
per hectare is optimum to increase
harvesting of the high-yield winter rice
Kong, 126 demonstration plots with
production.
happens in the middle of April, and the
18 different crops were tested in a pi-
In all, the national institutes intro-
flash floods in late March damage, if not
lot project with 102 farmers (26 wom-
duced 18 crops and almost all of them
completely ruin, the crop.
en and 76 men) from ten villages in
performed well, except for two, toma-
The hydrological nature of the haor
Sunamganj District. Several techniques
to and bate shak. See Table 1 for all 18
has also changed over the years. Various
were tested to reduce the length of the
crops and Chart 1 for the crops with the
factors are generally held responsible:
growing cycle for the rice: varying the
best profit ratio.
changes of rainfall patterns upstream,
spacing between seedlings, the age of
deforestation in both the haor and in
the seedlings, and using potassium.
the Meghalaya Hills in India, and more
Transplanting seedlings at 30 days old
M. Anisul Islam and Mokhlesur Rahman Suman work with the Center for Natural Resource Studies, an organisation which Oxfam Hong Kong supports in Bangladesh.
pollution from the north. Thirty years ago, when flash floods
Table 1: 18 Crops in the Pilot Project
hit the border of Sunamganj, it took 2
Average Yield
Optimal yield
Remarks
6
recommended
9.88
7.5
recommended
4.01
3.5-4.6
recommended
Potato
29.64
25-30
recommended
to reach Tahirpur and 3-5 days to reach
Garlic
9.88
10-12
recommended
Onion
11.12
12-15
recommended
Jamalganj. In the past, distribution of
Bitter gourd
24.70
25-28
recommended
rainwater and forest coverage in the
Sweet gourd
69.34
60-70
recommended
Bate shak
14.82
45-55
not recommended
to 5 days to reach Tahirpur and 10 to
(ton/hectare)
15 days to reach Jamalganj (source: re-
BRRI 45 Rice
7.14
BRRI 29 Rice
search by Center for Natural Resource
Wheat
Studies). Nowadays, it takes just 1 day
hills and haor basin slowed down the overland flow of water, and water
China shak
25.35
25-30
recommended
Red amaranth
12.84
12-14
recommended
seeped into soil. With siltation of the riv-
Stem amaranth
12.35
13-15
recommended
ers, canals and the haor, the land is now
Garden pea
9.88
12-14
needs further trials recommended
not able to retain water, nor can the The landscape of northeast Bangla-
There is certainly potential for increased
rivers drain the water into the Meghna
desh changes from season to season:
production, which would certainly re-
River system. Residents of the haor say
natural patterns of flooding create fish-
duce the poverty faced by most of the
that these days, the volume of run off
eries in the wet season and allow rice
residents of the area. About a third of
from the flash floods in March and April
growing in the dry.
the haor is kanda, or slightly raised land,
is much higher than forty years back.
The area, called the haor basin, mea-
which is not suitable for rice but for rabi
To cope, farmers have had to grow
sures about 600,000 hectares, and the
crops, which include oilseeds, maize,
a different type of rice, with a shorter
rice and other grain grown here pro-
pulses and wheat.
cycle. They have had to diversify their
Eggplant
49.40
45-50
French bean
13.59
13-14
recommended
Tomato
25.94
80-85
not recommended
Radish
41.17
55-60
needs further trials
Mung bean
0.98
1.2-1.5
needs further trials
Black gram
1.23
1.4-1.6
needs further trials
(Source: Center for Natural Resource Studies)
Chart 1: Trial Crops Performance TAKA
vides about ten per cent of the country’s
A major problem at hand is a change
crops, and at the same time, adapt their
supply. This is from a single annual crop.
in nature. The flooding that had fol-
agricultural techniques. Technologies
lowed the same patterns for decades
have been identified that suit the bio-
and generations are now different:
physical and socio-economic environ-
they are coming about fifteen days
ment of the haor and have been tested
100000
sooner, right at the harvesting season.
and further developed through par-
50000
This change in the climate is ruining
ticipatory research trials which farm-
0
harvests, threatening the ecosystem,
ers have joined. This research and pilot
in Bangladesh
Total production cost/hectare
Total output/hectare
300000 250000 200000 150000
Wheat Potato Garlic Onion
Bitter gourd
Sweet gourd
Red Stem Amaranth Amaranth
Garden pea
Tomato
Radisha
CROPS
BRRI 45 - rice suitable for the haor region of Bangladesh
THE EU AND AFRICA – IT’S TIME FOR A BETTER PARTNERSHIP Farmers, students, church members
(African) resources”.
and civil society activists across Africa
With such tactics from the EU, it
have been united in a call to “Stop EPAs”
seemed that everything was set for the
or Economic Partnership Agreements,
EPAs to be signed, but due to mass ac-
the free trade agreements that the
tion, the deadline for the signing of
European Union has been negotiat-
the ‘comprehensive EPA’ has been de-
ing with 77 states across Africa, the
layed to 2009.
Caribbean and the Pacific.
NewPartnerOrganisations
Every day, Oxfam Hong Kong works alongside hundreds of groups around the world, from small NGOs to international bodies, from government departments of developing countries to community groups based in Hong
It is encouraging that some of
Kong. Here are 3 ‘partner organisa-
Why do EPAs need to be stopped?
Africa’s critical issues are on the agenda
In an EPA, African governments would
of international institutions and govern-
first time. The location indicates where
lose the ability to use tariffs and other
ments, and that the voice of civil society
the project is being implemented.
such policies to protect their local mar-
is making a difference, yet the momen-
kets. Farmers across Africa would suffer
tum must be maintained. Awareness-
as their products struggle to compete
raising with farmers, policymakers and
• Gansu Academy of Village Development • Guizhou Provincial Institute of Ethnic Studies
with highly subsidised European prod-
the general public needs to be ongo-
HONG KONG
ucts, citizens would suffer significant
ing. So far, the campaign has been
welfare losses, governments would lose
full of energy and creativity – starting
much needed revenues collected from
from effective media stunts during the
tariffs and duties and would therefore
World Social Forum in Nairobi, to every-
be unable to provide basic social servic-
thing from hip-hop concerts to prayer
es thus leading to an even bigger liveli-
days among religious groups and farm-
hoods crisis on the continent.
ers speaking out during the EU-Africa
Until recently, only a few govern-
tions’ that we are supporting for the
CHINA (MAINLAND)
• Community Development Alliance
Summit in Lisbon in December 2007.
ment technocrats discussed EPAs. The
September 2008 marks another an-
average citizen did not know about the
niversary of the launch of the EPA ne-
ongoing talks or the impact the agree-
gotiations, and 27 September is Global
ments would have. The Nairobi-based
Stop EPA day. ACORD and its partner
Agency for Cooperation and Research
organisations are busy planning ac-
in Development (ACORD) has been well
tions all across Africa, such as public
aware of the disastrous impact that
forums, demonstrations, conferences,
EPAs would have on Africa’s agricultural
workshops, concerts and 24-hour hun-
sector and subsistence farmers, and in
ger strikes. ACORD is also gathering the
In this edition of O.N.E, we highlight
January 2007, the pan-African organisa-
most current information from forums
tion took the initiative to launch a cam-
and negotiations and providing it to
Community Development Alliance, made up of some of the
paign across the continent. Together
civil society groups across the continent,
most committed community develop-
with like-minded organisations and al-
and beyond.
ment practitioners and academics in
A resident forum
Hong Kong: about 80 people who work
lies worldwide, it aimed to raise citizen
Policy-wise, there are options to
awareness on EPAs, democratise the
EPAs, such as a Generalized System of
debate, educate parliamentarians, and
Preferences Plus, that have not been ex-
They sought support from Oxfam
ultimately promote a different globali-
plored. Under this scheme, the EU could
Hong Kong to work in Tin Shui Wai,
sation that benefits poor farmers in the
allow high-level market access that is
a community in the northeast part of
least developed countries.
within WTO trade rules. Since the EU
Hong Kong which has a high concen-
on a range of socio-economic issues.
Procedurally, the entire EPA process
currently offers this to Latin American
tration of unemployed people (both
has been flawed. EPAs are demanding
countries, the scheme could also apply
youth and middle-aged), residents
much more than what had been agreed
to Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific
on social welfare, new arrivals from
through the World Trade Organization,
countries.
Mainland China, and single-headed
there has been a lack of transparency
There is a common saying that if
households. The severity of social prob-
in the negotiations, and key African
the Emperor is naked, say so. Don’t let
lems in Tin Shui Wai has led to about
stakeholders such as gender groups
your Emperor walk down the street na-
five full-length films – features and
have not been represented. Furthermore,
ked just because a con artist has hood-
documentaries – to be set there, some
the EU has blatantly used bullying tac-
winked the government! African civil
involving crime, alienation and suicide,
tics and is now asking the governments
society groups are saying so – they are
and all revealing poverty.
to bypass standard ratification proce-
continuing to push their governments
The alliance selected Oxfam to ap-
dures. What an EPA requires of Africa is
to do more to protect African trade in-
ply for funding because Oxfam Hong
so astounding that civil society groups
terests. Now more than ever, with the
Kong understands the development
have called it a “re-colonisation” with
food crisis and the increasing impacts of
process, supports resident-led commu-
the EU “coming back to deplete our
climate change, African agriculture and
nity development, promotes participa-
food sovereignty must be protected.
tion and community organising, and overall, Oxfam believes in process and
For more on the campaign, visit www.stopthink resist.org.
empowerment. The alliance will work
For more about ACORD, please visit www. acordinternational.org. Oxfam Hong Kong has been supporting ACORD for over a decade. Text, photographs and campaign posters courtesy of ACORD.
alongside Tin Shui Wai residents to assist them to find solutions to problems in their community, primarily in health services, transportation and employ-
in Africa
ment opportunities. Much of this will done through small group discussions and, gradually, a coalition will be built up of groups that can act as a powerbase to articulate their rights and make recommendations to the government. The work has just begun:
A farmer leader being interviewed by Reuters during the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon
the Oxfam-supported project began For the story behind these campaign posters, visit: www.acordinternational.org
in August 2008.
in China
VOICE HONG KONG CLIMATE Six action groups call for carbon dioxide emissions to be capped in the Air Pollution Control Ordinance: right now, the Hong Kong SAR Government does
from SHIMEN to SICHUAN
not regulate CO2 emissions of its two power companies, which account for about by Keith Wong
70% of all CO2 emissions. Please add your voice to this campaign (http://write-aletter.greenpeace.org/407) – if action is not taken soon, now, Hong Kong winters may disappear within just 20 years, according to The Hong Kong Observatory. Oxfam Hong Kong is also calling to stop climate change, to stop the poverty it is bringing around the world: http://www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/
OXFAM HONG KONG WEBSITE www.oxfam.org.hk
OXFAM BOOKS Oxfam International recently published “Joining the World Trade Organization: A nongovernment perspective in the accession process” for least-developed countries. The publication discusses the membership process of the WTO, step by step, and the lessons learned by five developing countries: Cambodia, Nepal, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam. (The negotiations to become a member can take fifteen years, as in China’s case.) Oxfam offers an assessment on the technical assistance available to applicants, and suggests ways that countries can negotiate beneficial entry conditions. The 59-page publication was financially supported by Oxfam Hong Kong and Oxfam Australia. To order books: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/list
OXFAM in the NEWS In early August, Oxfam signed an agreement with the Government of Myanmar for a three-year, US$10 million cyclone response programme in two townships in the delta. This is on top of the relief and rehabilitation work already being carried out through 14 organisations based in the country. The agreement allows Oxfam Farmers in Shimen in 1998 (left) and earthquake survivors in Sichuan in 2008 (right) / photos (left) MM Slavick, (right) Oxfam Hong Kong
Soon after the devastating earth-
in fifty years hit Shimen: the severely
Howard Liu, China Unit Director,
quake struck Sichuan, a faraway com-
cold weather ruined people’s harvests
says, “Oxfam Hong Kong has prepared
munity in another province got togeth-
and made for a very bitter winter. Yet,
to allocate HK$150 million (about
er and donated 13,395 Yuan (about
when the community heard about the
US$19.2 million) for rehabilitation
US$2,000) to Oxfam Hong Kong. The
earthquake in May, they still managed
work over the next five years. Projects
community is named Shimen.
to come together and collect dona-
include rebuilding schools, repairing
Nestled in the mountains of south-
tions. Almost everyone contributed,
roads, and securing water supply sys-
west China, near the border of Yunnan
children and elderly alike, from as little
tems. Besides this ‘hardware’, we will
and Sichuan provinces, Shimen carries
as 0.50 Yuan to about 60 Yuan each.
also pay specific attention in enabling poor people to regain their means of
to formally establish offices in Yangon and in the two townships, and to recruit staff. This work is being led by Oxfam Great Britain. The Oxfam International programme as a whole has now reached approximately 700,000 people. For more information, and to make donations, please visit: http://www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/ article?ha=&wc=0&hb=&hc=&revision%5fid= 84797&item%5fid=80849
A community meeting on relief and rehabilitation projects in Myanmar
a special significance for Oxfam: it is
Villagers wrote in a letter to Oxfam,
one of our very first project sites in
“We don’t have much money. We just
the whole country. In 1992, when we
do what we possibly can. Earlier this
Liu continues, “Oxfam has been
Oxfam Hong Kong publishes this quarterly magazine
began supporting community devel-
year, we were affected by the great-
conducting poverty-alleviation proj-
in Traditional Chinese. Mokung, which means both “no
opment projects there, residents faced
est snowstorm this region has seen, but
ects across Mainland China for more
poverty” and “infinity”, highlights a different aspect of
severe poverty. Hunger was common,
we managed to get through it with the
than 20 years, and this experience is
development in each issue. The Editor is Tung Tsz-kwan.
water was contaminated with fluorine
help of Oxfam. When we were in need,
valuable in a rehabilitation context,
The September edition, in a new format, looks at food and
and bromine, homes were made of
people helped us. Now seeing others
too. Oxfam has been doing assess-
inflation in Hong Kong.
thatch, agricultural yields were small,
in need of assistance, we should try
ments in affected areas, and instead
To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/?lang=big5
access to loans was minimal, and peo-
our best to give a helping hand.” The
of just restoring things to the ‘status
Mokung is online at www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/category?cid=1017&lang=big5
ple’s average income was less than 100
13,395 Yuan donation from Shimen
quo’, we will also consider introduc-
Yuan a month. Over the years, Oxfam
was used for books, stationary and ba-
ing different options to raise people’s
has helped Shimen improve their food
sic physical education equipment for a
standard of living. Growing maize and
and water supply; we introduced high-
primary school Oxfam helped build in
raising hares, for instance, are two pos-
value crops such as maize; we sup-
Pengzhou.
sibilities for earning good income and
a livelihood.”
MOKUNG
ONE O.N.E – Oxfam News E-magazine – is uploaded monthly at www.oxfam.org.hk/one.
ported training in basic veterinarian
Up until mid-August, Oxfam Hong
may help sustain the long-term devel-
skills; we helped set up a community
Kong has supplied HK$20,138,057
opment of communities. Whatever
scribe – it is free.
bank, and more. These days, the av-
worth of materials for 611,522 sur-
methods may be used, the positive
To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/one/subscribe.html
erage income stands at about 1,000
vivors in 20 areas of Gansu, Shaanxi
growth in Shimen over the years shows
Yuan a month, and the quality of life
and Sichuan provinces. The priority
that our approach works.”
has improved.
has been to assist remote areas not
Please read Three Months On: A Report on Oxfam Hong Kong’s Response to the China Earthquake of 12 May (http://www.oxfam.org. hk/public/contents/article?ha=&wc=0&hb=&hc=& revision%5fid=87084&item%5fid=87034)
Shimen is cold. A wet day in the
reached by government or other NGO
summer feels like winter, a local say-
efforts, and vulnerable groups of peo-
ing goes, and that means very cold:
ple often unassisted in an emergen-
wintertime in Shimen is snowy – typi-
cy, such as children, women, elderly,
cally one foot deep. In January and
people with disabilities and ethnic
February 2008, the worst snowstorm
minorities.
Keith Wong is a member of the communications team of Oxfam Hong Kong, He visited Sichuan in May 2008.
To receive a copy in your inbox, please sub-
Hong Kong
17th Floor, 28 Marble Road, Northpoint, Hong Kong O. N .E is also on-line: www.oxfam.org.hk/one Editor: Madeleine Marie Slavick emagazine@oxfam.org.hk
COVER: Fair Trade tea leaf in Vietnam / courtesy of BETTERDAY
category?cid=53988&lang=iso-8859-1.