10 years ago I was invited, as then prime minister of the Netherlands, to receive the first Fairtrade Oké banana in Europe; a 'delicious and fair' banana, a banana produced under the conditions set out by the Max Havelaar quality mark which are beneficial to both people and the environment.

Unfortunately, illness prevented me from attending in 1996 and the then State Secretary for Economic Affairs Van Dok was kind enough to represent me. Now, 10 years later, I once again have the opportunity to sample Oké fruit. And this time, there are not only bananas, but also pineapples, mangoes and, since last year, oranges, lemons and tangerines. This is the type of healthy fruit basket I could have used 10 years ago!

What matters is sharing fairly. Not only with people you know, the village in which you live or your native country. Sharing fairly transcends borders. Fairtrade stands for a fair position for farmers from the south in the rich Western market.

And it is not only the producers that benefit from Fairtrade in Latin America and Africa, but also the workers and their families. In fact, the entire region benefits from the increase in employment, the improvement in the infrastructure and the use of the Fairtrade premium for the construction of schools and medical facilities. Share and share alike: a nice, tasty and healthy product for the consumer, a good price for the farmers to enable them to build a secure future.

The environment is another beneficiary of the production of Oké fruit because the production methods used require fewer pesticides and artificial fertilizers.

Retailers can distinguish themselves by selling Oké fruit demonstrating that they, too, are committed to sharing fairly. The impact of our trade in developing countries is increasing because more and more consumers and retailers in Europe choose Oké fruit. I have been told that retailers of other European countries such as Switzerland and Finland have already chosen to offer Fairtrade fruit as a mainstream product. For example all the bananas sold at supermarket chain COOP in Switzerland and SIWA in Finland are Fairtrade. I hope that in the near future Dutch retailers will follow the Swiss and Finnish example!

AgroFair's model has demonstrated that sharing fairly is possible. I understand it does so by giving producers in developing countries a say in the company, by guaranteeing a fair price and by investing the company's profits in product development. By offering Oké fruit AgroFair provides the consumer with a practical lever. Choosing fruit that is produced in a responsible manner can make a difference for many thousands of farmers in Latin America and Africa.

Oké fruit deserves broad support. Thank you again for this delicious and, more importantly, fairly produced Oké fruit basket! And I wish you a lot of success in your next 10 years!

Nog een projectvoorbeeld: tekstschrijven website TASTE