Norwegian Parlamentarians visit Golden Roses Fairtrade farm
14.04.2009 //
A group of Norwegian Parlamentarians representing the Labour Party, The Progress Party and the Christian Democratic Party visited the Golden Roses farm in Tefki 40 kilometers outside Addis Ababa yesterday. The farm is certified as a Fairtrade farm, with assistance from NORAD, and exported more than 1 million stems to Norway last year. The delegation (see picture) expressed great interest in the system of Fairtrade and the benefits to the environment and the workers.
Taking advantage of their participation at the 120th Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly the Norwegian Parlamentarians used the opportunity to visit Norwegian related businesses and development projects. The visit to the rose farm gave a good example on how trade (in roses) benefits the Ethiopian national economy, creates job opportunities and benefits the local community. The Golden Roses farm employs 625 people in an area where most people used to be subsistence farmers. In less than a year the Fairtade Premium has brought in nearly 100.000 Euro which will gradually benefit the local community through initiatives to be decided by the Joint Committee of the owner and the workers.
The Norwegian Parliamentarians Thore Nistad from the Progress party, Sigrun Eng from the Labour Party and Ola T. Lånke from the Christian Democratic Party seemed to be impressed by what the manager Ryaz Shamji explained about the farm and the plans for use of the Premium from Faritrade as well as his explanation on how the roses end up in Norwegian outlets (MesterGrønn) less than 100 hours from being cut in Ethiopia. Shamji also explained that the ambitions now is to export 6 million stems to Norway in 2009, which would be 1/4 of the total production of the farm.