Crippling Flood Damage in Peru

Crippling Flood Damage Affects Peru – Farmers Bear the Brunt

The worst rainstorms in 50 years have flooded vast areas of Peru, affecting thousands of hectares of banana production, ending the mango harvest and destroying rice production, as well as crops being grown for local people. In some mango growing regions rainfall exceeded 25 litres per square meter, in an area that usually sees just 6 centimeters of rainfall per year. Peru is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and agriculture is a primary economic driver.

Local organic produce retailer Green Earth Organics purchases and promotes Fair Trade bananas, mangos and avocados from these growing regions. Most of the farmers have less than an acre of land and are organized into large certified organic cooperatives. They are now suffering lost income from their damaged and destroyed crops.

Green Earth Organics is participating in a relief effort to support the growers in these regions by selling mangos for $2.52 this week, with $0.25 of the profits (including $0.25 for each mango included in a Small, Medium, or Large Bin) remitted directly through the Fair Trade system to these growers for social relief efforts in the grower's communities.

This is your opportunity to donate money directly to these struggling farmers, who have lost crucial income, with no administrative costs. This is what Fair Trade is all about! This program is being coordinated by Discovery Organics in Vancouver, the largest Fair Trade produce importer in Western Canada.

For further information and for interviews in English or Spanish, please contact the coordinator of the Peru Relief Fund, Miranda Radok of Discovery Organics in Vancouver: 604-299-1684.