Byendangwero
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 24, 2010
- 871
- 56
In 1990 the writer of this post, by then the marketing manager of Kagera cooperative union (KCU), came to learn about the launching of the Max-Havelaar quality mark scheme, which aimed at forging a better deal for the small coffee producers in the international trade, and immediately made the necessary contacts. In a matter of days KCU was inscribed a member of the said scheme and started exporting coffee in that lucrative market. Later other cooperative unions dealing with coffee followed suit.
From that humble beginning, the Fair Trade in the country has grown in heights and bounds, and today it generates billions of dollas to the country annually in form of surplus. Despite that impressive performance the resultant benefit by and large has not been able to trickle down to the small coffee producers; that this is so is mainly due to the fact that the cooperative law currently in operation in Tanzania has conferred overriding powers to the Registrar/Commissioner of cooperatives over members; consequently members of cooperative societies to-day in Tanzania have no control on the affairs of their societies- not even who their leaders should be.
To illustrate that point ,let us revisit the one third election that took place in all primary cooperative societies affliated to KCU from 27/02-14/03/2012. By the requirement of the law between the chairman of respective societies and the external delegate to KCUs general meeting one of them was supporsed to resign and was not due for re election until the expiry of three years; whereas that provision of the law was applied to other societies, to thse societies which involved KCU directors it was waived. Such double standards has enabled the perpetuation of some people in the leadership against members wishes. For that reason its now high time for the Fair Trade movement to start shopping around for other partners; farmers groups would be an ideal candidate.
From that humble beginning, the Fair Trade in the country has grown in heights and bounds, and today it generates billions of dollas to the country annually in form of surplus. Despite that impressive performance the resultant benefit by and large has not been able to trickle down to the small coffee producers; that this is so is mainly due to the fact that the cooperative law currently in operation in Tanzania has conferred overriding powers to the Registrar/Commissioner of cooperatives over members; consequently members of cooperative societies to-day in Tanzania have no control on the affairs of their societies- not even who their leaders should be.
To illustrate that point ,let us revisit the one third election that took place in all primary cooperative societies affliated to KCU from 27/02-14/03/2012. By the requirement of the law between the chairman of respective societies and the external delegate to KCUs general meeting one of them was supporsed to resign and was not due for re election until the expiry of three years; whereas that provision of the law was applied to other societies, to thse societies which involved KCU directors it was waived. Such double standards has enabled the perpetuation of some people in the leadership against members wishes. For that reason its now high time for the Fair Trade movement to start shopping around for other partners; farmers groups would be an ideal candidate.
