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Santos Fair Trade Presentation

Sir Ebia Olewale, a PNG senior elder statesman, hands over the first shipment of coconut oil to store manager Ryan Hamilton of Santos in Byron Bay. The organic virgin coconut oil is produced by rural farmers of PNG and arrived in Byron Bay this week as part of the not for profit Fair Trade Farm Hands exchange program.

Pictured from front Sir Ebia Olewale, Santos warehouse manager Ryan Hamilton and Simon Hodge, Australian coordinator for Fair Trade Farm Hands.

 

The first shipment of organic virgin coconut oil produced by rural farmers of PNG arrived in Byron Bay this week as part of the not for profit Fair Trade Farm Hands exchange program. 

Sir Ebia Olewale, a senior elder statesman who helped Papua New Guinea gain independence in 1975 and later became Deputy Prime Minister, was in Byron Bay to personally hand over the coconut oil. He is also here to seek support from Northern Rivers coffee farmers and interested community groups in employing his people to help harvest local crops under the new Workforce from Abroad Employment Scheme (WAES).

Sir Ebia is a Director of the PNG Sustainable Development Program, chaired by Professor Ross Garnaut, which supports sustainable development through projects and initiatives to benefit the people of Papua New Guinea, especially the people of Western Province now and during the period after eventual closure of the Ok Tedi mine.

‘This is much more than a trade program,' Sir Ebia said, ‘our main aim is to encourage longer-term community-to-community linkages between Australia and the Pacific and we are extremely grateful to the Australian government with the recent announcement to allow workers from the Pacific Islands to provide much needed labour to Australia's horticultural sector during your harvest season. Our farmers need help and the opportunity to earn an income by providing labour to Australian farmers will have a huge impact on their lives.

‘It will provide them funds for their children's education and important health services that are simply out of their reach financially. Fair Trade Farm Hands will also assist participating workers to use some of the earnings to further develop their farms, fund organic certification of their produce and set up export opportunities.

‘Tree-To-Cup is a growing global market and we need to help PNG farmers gain access to it. Since the beginning of time we have always been organic, we cannot afford expensive fertilisers and therefore our farmlands and waterways are totally free of any chemical additives.

‘I am also hoping there will be community engagement with our visiting workers. While here they would love to present their traditional costume, music and dance and will be happy to participate in any event for the public's enjoyment. We are also seeking assistance with accommodation, transport, and catering for the group while they are here.'

Any interested individual or organisations that would like to participate in an exciting cultural and social exchange with our nearest Pacific neighbour in any capacity should contact local coordinator Simon Hodge on 0414 664 384.