Fairtrade at Stellar

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is an international system of standards for producers, and terms of trade for their goods that ensure farmers and workers in some of the poorest countries in the world are adequately protected and can build a more sustainable future.

The Fairtrade logo has become established as a credible, independent consumer guarantee for goods that are ethically produced and assists producers in developing countries get a better deal from international trade.

For more information, visit www.fairtrade.net.

Fair Trade CertifiedTM

Transfair USA, a non-profit organization, is a member of the International Fairtrade Labeling Organisation and the only independent, third-party certifier of FAIR TRADE CERTFIEDTM products in the United States. TransFair USA enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry and the Earth. We achieve our mission by certifying and promoting FAIR TRADE CERTIFIEDTM products.

For more information, visit www.transfairusa.org

Stellar and Fairtrade

Stellar Organic Winery, the largest producer of organic wines in South Africa, is privately owned by the Rossouw brothers and the Stellar workers, who own 26% shares in the cellar and 50% in Stellar Agri - a table and wine grape farming operation.

Stellar Winery was the first organic winery in the world to be awarded the coveted international Fairtrade certification.

Stellar Winery is an accredited Fairtrade producer. Visit the official Fairtrade South Africa website: www.fairtrade.org.za/

Stellar Fairtrade Employees' Trust

The Stellar Employees' Trust serves as a forum for workers to identify their needs and manages the income derived from Fairtrade sales. This is done through the democratically elected Joint Body, the executive arm of the Trust.

The Trust initiates and manages projects designed to improve the quality of workers lives and community facilities. The Stellar workforce benefits directly from sales of Fairtrade-labelled wine and grapes.

The Stellar Employees' Trust is the organization that controls the Fairtrade funds. The Trust consists of five group B Trustees and seven group A Trustees. The Group B Trustees are the four Rossouw brothers (non-beneficiaries) and an auditor for his legislative experience. The Group A Trustees (beneficiaries) are employees of the Farm and Cellar. They meet monthly as the full Stellar Employees' Trust.

Joint Body

The work of the Joint Body is to liase between the employees and management. They are legally elected by the employees to represent them. A synonym for Joint Body can also be Group A Trustees. That is what they really are. They protect the financial interests of the employees. Their main aim is to negotiate better economic, financial and social benefits for the employees. Sub-Committees are responsible for various portfolios: for instance the through the Workers committee the employees address issues such as hours of work and safety. The Health committee motivates employees to keep their properties neat and tidy. The work of the Neighborhood Watch is to protect the property and lives of the workers, while the Supervisors are in control of working teams.

Fairtrade Projects

Completed Projects:

• Fencing for workers' houses to provide privacy and enable home gardening.
• Laptop computers.

Ongoing:

• A commercial community organic vegetable garden.
• A Viognier vineyard planted next to the Trawal Primary School. Serves as an organic educational farming project and the proceeds from the sale of grapes and wine are shared by the school and the Stellar Employees' Trust.
• The purchase of a 26% shareholding in the cellar and a 50% shareholding in Stellar Agri, the farming operation.
• An IT training facility which will offer adult education classes to employees and the purchase of more laptops.

Progress report:

• The vegetable garden is in full production. Seven families are involved in the project. The produce is freely available to members of the Stellar community and the residual vegetables are sold through the retail outlet at the Truck-in next to the cellar. Profits from sales are put into a fund for tertiary education.
• The computer centre at the school is fully operational.
• The first harvest from the Viognier school block was in 2008. The wine was sold to Delhaize Supermarket chain in Belgium.

On The Wish List:

• The purchase of a bus for transporting seasonal workers to and from the farms and cellar and for use on social occasions.
• The building of a new community centre at Stellar.
• A canteen.
• Soccer and volleyball fields, shower rooms and a spectator stand.
• Change rooms with lockers.

Stellar Fairtrade News

Stellar Launches Fair Trade CertifiedTM wines in US with new labels

Stellar Winery's Fair Trade CertifiedTM new label Stellar Organics Mandala and Moonlight and Sunshine Organics wines were launched in the Washington DC Metro area with a reception at the South African Embassy at the end of June. The event has was facilitated by South African International Business Linkages (saibl), the South African arm of the business linkages programme of the Corporate Council on Africa. Transfair USA also partnered Stellar at the event. The Stellar team of Berty Jones (Cellar master and Employees' Trust exco member), Dudley Wilson (Winemaker) and Leé Griffin (Branding & Marketing Director) presented a selection of Stellar wines to invited guests including members of Congress and US importers and distributors. His Excellency Ambassador Welile A.Nhlapo hosted the reception.

A similar event was held at the South African Consulate in Chicago, this time hosted by Ambassador Nomvume P. Magaqa, Consul General.

Although Stellar wines have been selling under the Fair Trade Certified logo for a few months, the two successful and well supported events marked the official launch of Stellar as Fair Trade CertifiedTM producers in the US market. The Stellar team spent the rest of their time in the US on a retail road show.