Agrícola Chaparral, a member of the Veggies From Mexico community, is in the process of renewing its Fair Trade certification. As this is the first year for the company, part of the obligations according to the certification is the formation of a committee of its workers, so Agrícola Chaparral held meetings according to the place of origin of its temporary workers, such as the states of Veracruz, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Durango.

Once the company’s workers’ committee was established, training was provided on basic accounting concepts, purchasing and quotations, and teamwork. The company also held assemblies with all of its temporary workers to share the basic criteria for Fair Trade certification and to train them on the best practices to be implemented in the company.

Fair Trade offers an alternative to conventional trade and is based on an agreement between growers and consumers to improve lives and reduce poverty through ethical trade practices. The purpose of the Fair-Trade certification system is to guarantee consumers that the product they purchase meets special social, economic, and environmental standards.

The system seeks to work with marginalized growers and workers to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency, empower growers and workers as committed groups within their organizations, and contribute to the creation of greater equity in international trade. Products included in Fair Trademark are coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa, fresh fruit, vegetables, sugar, nuts, oils, kinds of butter, beans, grains, wine, garments, flowers, honey and spices, skincare products, alcoholic beverages with certified ingredients currently present in ready-to-drink beverages.

Agrícola Chaparral which is part of Grupo Chaparral is a successful farming operation with origins dating back to the 1960s. The company operates 3 agricultural units that are an international example in terms of productivity, quality, safety, and social responsibility. The main products marketed are Red Beefsteak tomato, Roma tomato, Grape tomato, Lamuyo pepper, and Bell pepper.

Learn more about Agrícola Chaparral here.