Tropical Wholefoods

Newsletter Feb 2011

2011-04-05T16:20:00.002+01:00

Raisin Awareness! Fairtrade from Afghanistan

Juicy, sweet, Fairtrade raisin's .....from Afghanistan. These are the first of what we hope will be many Fairtrade products to come out of Afghanistan! The grapes are grown and sun dried by the Parwan Raisin Producer Cooperative on the Shomali Plain, with whom Tropical Wholefoods and international NGO Mercy Corps have been working closely for the last three years. Known as “the Garden of Kabul” the Shomali Plain is famous for producing grapes, but the area also saw heavy fighting during the Soviet era, Civil War and Taliban regime. The low lying grape vines provided perfect cover for fighters and therefore many of them were destroyed. Fairtrade export of the raisins brings hope to the farmers most of whom say that what they want for the future is simply "Peace and Education." Buying Fairtrade Raisins is a way of delivering that to them. The raisins are available in 250g and 50g packs from our website, www. tropicalwholefoods.com Oxfam shops and health food shops nationwide. Whilst we love to snack on raisins, they are also a great ingredient.For some lovely recipes, go to: www.fmfoods.co.uk/resources/recipes.htm TW founder, Kate's favourite raisin recipes are: Spicy Beef Stew with Raisins, Lamb Pilau with Raisins,and Chutney Gashneez. The family are patiently waiting for her raisin recipe craze to die down...last year it was apricot kernels....

Recipe: Afghan Chutni Gashneez

From Helen Saberi’s Afghan Food & Cookery. This fresh relish is great served with pilaus, kebabs and samosa . Keeps well in the fridge. Enough for 8 people. 225g fresh coriander (not the lower stems or roots) 10 to 25g hot green chillies, seeds removed and chopped 10 to 25g garlic, peeled and chopped 50g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade walnuts 25g sugar 225ml lemon juice or white wine vinegar 2 tsp salt 30g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade raisins Blend coriander, green chillies, garlic and walnuts in blender making sure they are well mixed. Add the sugar to the lemon juice or vinegar and again mix well. Add this to the coriander mixture with the salt and raisins, mix, put into clean jars, and refrigerate ‘til using.

Comic Relief Funds Biogas in Burkina Faso Dried Mango Cooperatives

We all love dried mango! But when you produce hundreds of tonnes like our Coops do in Burkina Faso, you need a lot of heat for your ovens, and you generate alot of waste peels, stones and any bruised flesh. Currently this waste is composted in the fields, but wouldn’t it be great if it could be converted into fuel to heat, yes you've guessed it, the ovens to dry the mango. Comic Relief have funded a 3 year Research and Development project with us to develop Biogas production out of the mango waste, combining it with human and animal waste. We are working with a team of biogas experts on this exciting project. In 2010, we funded Devkota Govinda from Nepal, a former Ashden Sustainable Energy Gold Award winner to visit Burkina, build a biogas unit and carry out training with local artisans. The unit is being tested in preparation for the 2011 mango season which starts in May. In the UK, Engineering firm Max Applicances have produced prototype mango waste chopping machines to speed up the composting process; and David Fulford from Kingdom Biogas is researching maximising output from the biogas units. Finally, Devtech at Imperial College are working on mechanisms to improve the efficiency of the drying ovens.www.imperialconsultants.co.uk/showcases/efficientmangodrying Interested? Call Kate 0845 258 2781

DFID Back Berry Growing in Uganda

We are at the end of the first year of a two and a half year funded Department for International Development (DFID) programme to develop berry growing and drying in Uganda with our partners Fruits of the Nile from whom we already buy sun dried pineapple and banana. The Cape Gooseberries have grown very well, and we will be showing these, sun dried, at Biofach Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg, Germany in February 2011 where we are exhibiting in the Africa Pavillion. Cape Gooseberries (also known as Physalis) are small tart berries, rich in potassium, vitamin A and C. The Strawberry plants are also doing well, although the fruits are vulnerable to insect and pest damage. Raspberry canes and blueberry bushes have established well but will be slower to fruit. Tim Sobey from TSA Consultants and Julia Wright from Garden Organic collaborated with our farmers in Uganda to establish the new berry gardens. See farmer Kellen Kaboine in her strawberry and cape gooseberry plot in our new video on Uganda. Visit: www.youtube.com/user/tropicalwholefoods

Mountain Fruits looking for a better 2011

2010 was a very difficult year for Mountain Fruits and their farmers. A landslide in Jan uary buried the village of Attabad where many of our apricot farmers lived. In July, the rising levels of the lake resulted in 90% of another apricot producing village, Shishket being submerged. Many other villages suffered terrible flooding. Thousands of people are still displaced and living in temporary camps. We sincerely thank all supporters who donated money to the relief effort. The producers have voted to invest the donated money in creating new irrigation channels, and if possible building a new school. Understandably they only wish to do this once they have been relocated to their new land. The government is not being very quick about this but they live in hope. Meanwhile, Mountain Fruits have managed, despite the difficulties, to continue work on their new nut processing factory at Damas, near Gakuch. Grant money from Sainsburys Fair Development Fund is helping fund the development of the new nut factory. Mountain Fruits will be able to process Fairtrade almonds & walnuts here for use in Ben and Jerry's icecream, as well as pressing them into oils for use in Boots, Neals Yard, and Lush cosmetics range. Boots Extracts range is also using the walnut and apricot kernel shells as exfoliant ingredients. Go to: www.youtube.com/user/TropicalWholefoods to see our Pakistan video.

Fairtrade Labelling Organisation in Uganda

Fruits of the Nile Growers Association (FONA) which represents all the growers and dryers of our pineapple and bananas, had their first full FLO inspection in September 2010. Whilst some issues came up to do with organisational structures and record keeping which FONA have now addressed. FONA were seen not to have done too badly at all for a first inspection. We have not heard yet, but we are cautiously optimistic that FONA will succeed in getting FLO certification for their products in early 2011. This will mean that at last we will have both Organic and FLO Fairtrade certification for our Sun Dried Pineapples, Chewy Banana Chips and Bogoya Banana. After twenty years of trading with Fruits of the Nile, these will be nice certificates to have!

Fairtrade Fortnight Fruit Hats, Rumer & Hugh FW

Hats off to Rumer

Fantastic singer Rumer is offering a pair of free tickets to her concert at the Royal Festival Hall on March 28th to the winner of a Fairtrade Fortnight Facebook competition backed by Tropical Wholefoods. All you have to do is create a fruity head dress for yourself with a hat, turban or cap. Use fresh or dried fruits but be sure that they are Fairtrade! Be inspired by Kate here in a lovely Easter Bonnet made up of dried fruits! Take a picture of yourself in your hatted finery and post it up on the Fairtrade Foundation’s Facebook challenge which will be open from March 4th. www.facebook.com/FairtradeFoundation The person whose head gear gets the most “likes” wins the 2 tickets AND signed vinyl and a CD from Rumer, and a TW basket full of dried fruit & nuts.

Raisin Awareness Sample Boxes

Tropical Wholefoods are “Showing Off” for Fortnight with a Raisin Awareness campaign box to let people know how proud we are to be selling Fairtrade Raisins from Afghanistan. Campaigners and Retailers will receive Raisin Awareness stickers, x3 250g bags of Fairtrade Afghan Raisins, a taster tub of Fairtrade mango, Raisin Awareness Recipes, a DVD containing 4 short videos on our partners, postcards, posters, plus packs of roast Apricot Kernels, Bogoya Banana, and snack bars. To help us with costs, it would be great if if you could send us a cheque for £5, made out to Fullwell Mill and posted to: Rachel Gurak, Fullwell Mill, Unit 5d, Southwick Industrial Estate, Sunderland SR5 3TX. Please ask for TWRaisinAwarenes Box and enclose your address for sending the box to and any special delivery instructions.

In The Papers

We have just heard that Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall is doing a Fairtrade feature in The Guardian Weekend on February 26th on Cooking with Fairtrade Dried Fruits. Hurrah! In 2010 it was also exciting to get written about in, amongst others: The New York Times, The Times, Financial Mail, Observer Food Monthly, The Guardian, Ethical Consumer, The Big Issue and Green Futures. www.fmfoods.co.uk/news/news.htm

4 New Videos on YouTube

For a preview of our great new videos on Pakistan, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan go to: www.youtube.com/user/tropicalwholefoods Richard Wilson from one31studio.com has edited these using footage shot by Adam and Kate whilst working with our partners.

Working With Charities

During 2010, we were lucky to work with: Found a Pound in Liverpool www.foundapound.com The Women's Institute Anti Poverty Day in Cheshire The Fairtrade Towns Network over summer sampling events and Fairtrade Fortnight and last but not least, Oxfam who are sampling our Fairtrade Afghan raisins to customers in January and February. We're also contributing a recipe to Oxfam's recipe booklet available in store from end of February for Fairtrade Fortnight and beyond.

If you would like to find out more about our work: Call: Kate Sebag 0845 258 2781 or 07834 343664 or Rachel Gurak 0845 258 2783 Or email: kate@tropicalwholefoods.com, Rachel@tropicalwholefoods.com Our address is: Tropical Wholefoods , Fullwell Mill, Unit 5d, Southwick Industrial Estate, Sunderland SR5 3TX tel: 0845 258 2781.

News Clips...

2010-02-05T16:55:00.003Z

Organic Ugandan Pineapples and Bananas

After a long process, our partner Fruits of the Nile in Uganda has finally achieved Organic Certification. It has been a huge achievement involving the registration and training of more than 700 very dispersed farmers. Until we get Fairtrade certification for these three products we have decided not to change our existing retail packaging to show that the fruits are Organic. This way we save costs on plate changes and film wastage. Fruits of the Nile Growers Association's first full Fairtrade inspection is expected by middle of 2010, if not sooner.

Comic Relief in Burkina Faso

We are just starting a 3 year project at the Mango Drying Cooperatives we work with in Burkina Faso. The project is funded by Comic Relief to develop Biogas production out of Mango waste generated by the drying process. The biogas will be made from combining mango peel, stones and rejects with human and animal waste. The biogas will then be used as fuel to heat the ovens which dry the sliced mango. We are working with a team of UK biogas experts on this project.

Kernels win Gold Prize

We are very pleased that Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Apricot Kernels were the winner of the Green Familia Gold Leaf TGF Rated Awards for Food and Drink for 2009. This is a reader voted award. Results were announced on December 31st so a great end to 2009 for the kernels. The tamari and chilli kernels are proving extremely popular – and now are available in sharing/catering tubs 500g from our website shop.

Trade Shows 2010

We will be exhibiting along with our Ugandan partner Fruits of the Nile in the Uganda section of the African Pavilion at Biofach, Nurnberg, Germany this year. Feb 18th to Feb 21st. The African Pavilion is in Hall 4.

We are on stand 6110 at Organic and Natural Products April 11th and 12th.

British Retail Consortium (BRC)

For the 4th year running, we have been certified to Global Standard at Grade A when our Fullwell Mill bakery and packing factory was inspected by BRC. This is a testament to the fantastic work our quality and production team continue to do. Well done all!

Dried Berries from Uganda

2010-02-05T16:53:00.001Z

We have got funding from the Department for International Development to develop berry growing and drying in Uganda with our partner Fruits of the Nile. The berries are Physalis (Cape Gooseberry), Strawberries and Blueberries. We are working with the Henry Doubleday Foundation on this 2 year programme. We will show the first dried berries at Biofach this year at Fruits of the Nile's stand in the African Pavillion

Landslide in Pakistan

2010-02-05T16:52:00.001Z

At the beginning of January, we were very sad to hear from our partner in Pakistan, Mountain Fruits, that many of their farmers had experienced devastating landslides in Atta-Abad in the Hunza region. More than 1600 people have been evacuated already and are sheltering in schools, with neighbours or in tents in very cold conditions. More than 100 houses have collapsed or are in damaged conditions, and more than 10,000 people are under serious threat of being evacuated due to the risk of the river Hunza rising because of all the debris that has fallen into it from the landslides. We have been raising money from friends and colleagues to send out to Mountain Fruits for reconstruction. We thank those who have donated for their generosity. Anyone else who wishes to donate can send their donation to Shared Interest who have kindly agreed to send out money to Pakistan free of charge. Please send as below:

DIRECT BANK TRANSFERS:
should go to:
Account Name: Shared Interest Foundation
Account Number: 70749045
Sort Code: 089006
Please quote: Livelihood Security Pakistan

Please also send andrea.wilkinson@shared-interest.com a short email saying that you are making a donation for Pakistan Landslide Relief.

CHEQUES:
If you wish to send a cheque please make it out to the: Shared Interest Foundation. Please post it to Andrea Wilkinson, Shared Interest Foundation, No 2 Cathedral Square, The Groat Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1EH Please include a note quoting:
Livelihood Security Pakistan

GIFT AID:
If you are a UK tax payer, Shared Interest are able to reclaim tax on your donation at a rate of 28% and so increase your donation to Pakistan by 28%, so please contact Louise 0191 233 9112 or louise.mclaren@shared-interest.com and she can send you the appropriate form to fill in and include with your donation to enable the tax reclaim to go ahead.

Afghan Raisins

2010-02-05T16:48:00.004Z

We are importing raisins this Spring again from the Shomali Plains just north of Kabul. Adam Brett and Richard Friend have been working with US Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Mercy Corps since 2006 on developing a good raisin supply out of Afghanistan into the UK. Part of the brief is to improve the farmer drying of raisins (through introduction of a mat based system). The washing and further grading and de-stalking of the raisins is another stage. Getting Fairtrade Certification for the grape farmers is another goal. It's been a tricky one to manage because the insecurity in the region rules out any FLO inspectors going to Afghanistan. However, Adam has been working closely with the Fairtrade Foundation and Mercy Corps to try to develop a way in which FLO certification can be available to farmers groups in fragile and precarious states like Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Considerable progress has been made.

The raisins are delicious and sweet, and will be available as bulk and in Tropical Wholefoods retail packs of 200g x 6.

Baking for Fairtrade Fortnight

2010-02-05T16:46:00.004Z

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 22nd February to 8th March 2010. The themed event will focus on “the big swap”. The idea is to get people to swap to Fairtrade certified products from the conventional products they currently purchase, with a special emphasis on tea. Since everyone likes a slice of cake and a biscuit with their Fairtrade cup of tea, it's been a chance for Kate at Tropical Wholefoods to get her baking hat on again and tell everyone about the gorgeous recipes we have on our website and in our little brochure. Her current favourites are the Tea Loaf which uses Tropical Wholefoods Chewy Banana Chips and Bogoya Banana (along with Fairtrade Tea and raisins) and Amoretti Biscuits which uses Fairtrade natural Apricot Kernels. Check out some of the other Apricot Kernel recipes too – like the Savoury Biscuits, and the Orange and Apricot Kernel Cake on our website: http://www.fmfoods.co.uk/resources/recipes.htm

Sally Reith at Shared Interest is baking a Fairtrade recipe every day of Fortnight and is kicking off with our Banana and Walnut Tea Loaf. (Thank you Sally!) We will also be baking for the Fairtrade Tea Dances in Newcastle and London on 27th February.

If anyone would like recipes and ingredients to use during Fairtrade Fortnight, please get in touch with rachel@fullwellmill.co.uk and she can send you a pack.

Kate will also be putting up recipes on our blog: http://tropicalwholefoods.blogspot.com/

New products for 2010—Nut oils and shells

2010-02-05T16:46:00.001Z

New imports for us this year are Fairtrade Apricot and Walnut Kernel Shells from our partner Mountain Fruits in Pakistan. These are being sold to cosmetic companies as exfoliate ingredients. They represent a lovely added product for Mountain Fruits. As Sher Ghazi, director of Mountain Fruits said to Kate Sebag: “Local markets are important but the best price for our produce lies in countries far from here. Getting a Fairtrade deal for farmers in these remote valleys is a lifeline.” On the sale of nut and kernel shells, he added “I could say that it was unbelievable for the lady farmers that they could make some money from nuts shells”.

We are finding a 4th apricot product by also importing and selling FT apricot kernel oil into the cosmetic industry. It's started in a small way already but we are seeking to build up FT supply and processing of Nut Oils in Pakistan for both apricot kernel oil, walnut oil and almond oil too.

4 Tropical Snack Bars in New Packaging

2010-02-05T16:37:00.003Z

Tropical Wholefoods are rebranding 4 of our 6 snack bars. Mango & Brazil nut, Apricot & Raisin, Pineapple & Cashew nut, and 5-Fruit salad, are set to be launched in March and are all Fairtrade (FLO) certiifed and Organic.

The new improved recipes will be vegan, using rice syrup to replace honey. We have also introduced extra crunch into the bars with the inclusion of some organic barley flakes from Pertwood Farms.

5 -Fruit salad replaces the previous Tropical Fruit Bar and is now made with mango, pineapple, banana, raisins and dates, and moistened with a little apple juice. Apricot & Raisin replaces Apricot & Kernel as a product title, although the bars still contain Apricot Kernels as an ingredient.

All 4 bars are under the attractive new Tropical Wholefoods branding which came out in 2009. The fruit bowl images on the bars underline the exceptionally high fruit content of all 4 bars. The cereal bars have a minimum of 32% dried fruit in them, and the 5-Fruit Salad is made with 95% dried fruit, and 5% apple juice.

Two other bars in the six bar range: - Banana & Honey bars, and Date & Walnut bars will for the time being remain in existing packaging until we run down existing packaging stock.

Pakistan Landslide Appeal

2010-01-13T14:07:00.001Z

Dear Friends and Partners,

You may have heard that on 4th January there were devastating landslides in Atta Abad and Sarat villages in the Hunza Nagar District of Northern Pakistan. 34 houses were destroyed and dozens of others damaged in the two villages. The village of Atta Abad has been completely wiped out with most of the rubble being dragged into the Hunza river creating more potential risk of flooding for other villages as the rubble is making the height of the river rise dangerously. At least 15 people were killed and around 1600 individuals have been displaced so far, 700 of which are accommodated in school camps. The landslide also destroyed 3km of the Karakorum Highway, the main road between Pakistan and China.

Our partners in Pakistan, Mountain Fruits, who buy Fairtrade fruits and nuts from Attaa-bad Village Organisation and from other villages in the region, wish to raise emergency financial support for the villagers affected by the landslide. They hope to provide supplementary food, shelter and bedding as soon as possible to displaced people in this remote region. They have therefore appealed to Tropical Wholefoods and Fullwell Mill to communicate with our partners and friends in the UK to raise any financial support we are able to.

Our ethical financier, Shared Interest have very kindly offered to help with the administration and despatch of funds. So if you are able to make a donation, please follow these instructions:

DIRECT BANK TRANSFERS:
should go to:
Account Name: Shared Interest Foundation
Account Number: 70749045
Sort Code: 089006
Please quote: Livelihood Security Pakistan

Please also send andrea.wilkinson@shared-interest.com a short email saying that you are making a donation for Pakistan Landslide Relief.

CHEQUES:
If you wish to send a cheque please make it out to the: Shared Interest Foundation. Please post it to Andrea Wilkinson, Shared Interest Foundation, No 2 Cathedral Square, The Groat Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1EH Please include a note quoting:
Livelihood Security Pakistan

We have more detailed reports on the events which have been sent to us by Mountain Fruits. Please feel free to contact me directly on Rachel@fullwellmill.co.uk where I can send the reports in response.

Thanking you in advance for any assistance you are able to offer to the villagers in the region. Your solidarity will be hugely appreciated.

Tropical Wholefoods

From Adam Brett in Afghanistan, December

2009-12-09T10:49:00.002Z

Part 1: Raisin farmer meeting. Fantastic, usual mayhem of farmers arguing, talking, mobile phones ringing, with the added Afghan variation of the door opening and harsh gusts of freezing air tearing through the building ... Incredibly annoyed, my camera battery died en-route. But I got a decent number of photos from Mercy Corps (NGO we are working with) camera, though it is not as nice. Really annoyed, as I could have had film of the farmers meeting, which would have been the icing on the cake of a decent short film. On the plus side MC are taking extensive film of the project ... and will circulate to us.

Overall meeting was a real success. Farmers are fantastic and will be good to work with. Impact of trade will be vast too.

Part 2: Visit to USA Embassy and USAID compound with Mercy Corps... wow. Multiple security checks, metal detection. Deposit all personal items (note book and pen were allowed through) ... and that was only to get into the USAID side. Then inside, the most surreal place I have even visited, like something straight out of a mad sci fi movie. Rows and rows of "hardened" bunker offices (basically oversized sea-containers covered in sandbags) joined together by enclosed, windowless walkways. Once you enter by a door (more security) you walk through a grid-like maze of identikit spaces, carpet below your feet, cubicle offices on the left and small meeting rooms on the right. The woman we were meeting has a cubicle 2 m x 2 m. There are literally hundreds of these cubicles running in every direction, with no distinguishing features. The woman (who has been working there for 9 months) still regularly gets lost. No windows. After visiting her cubicle to get some stuff we moved to the diner complete with Gatorade and Iced Tea ...

Richard in Afghanistan Part 4

2009-08-26T14:59:00.002+01:00

12th August 2009
Early start to Charicar arera and a meeting to meet one of the most active lead farmers Mr. Farhim at Demulla Village. He lives with his five brothers and their families. They make 90% of their farm income from grape or raisin. He is very interested to hear again about the fair trade minimum price. This is one of the mainstays of the FT system, it is a calculation of the costs of production so that the producer can rely on an income from their efforts. If market prices are higher than the minimum that's fine but the farm gate price can never be lower than the minimum.
Unfortunately we still have no definite purchase order so I have only the assurance that they will know volumes within 7 days. They have to make a fast decision about whether to sell table grapes to merchants who have already approached them.

On to the factory where we meet the engineer who's company is doing the factory renovation. We discuss my adaptions, he's a very bright guy and he picks up the idea of people and product flow and segregation of wet and dry processing immediately. Apparently he's in much demand he's got 8 police stations on the go at the moment. The Taliban arrested him and his French business partner last year and suggested building things for the government is not something he should bother with. His business partner agreed with them and left the country. John also runs off when we get round to the main store room but does see the logic that the roof also needs to be replaced. Spending American taxpayers money is something which I would like to do more of. A bit more reconstruction after funding the biggest covert war in history and flooding Afghanistan with weapons to fight the Soviet Union and the conditions which allowed the rise of the Taliban may have been avoided.

Back to Kabul and meeting with ACAP managers of a giant USAID funded venture capital fund. A bit out of our league.

After a series of calls we find the Roots of Peace compound and meet up with Zach and Gary. I worked for RoP for two weeks in 2007 in Badakshan which is the most Northern Province in the country. I really admire the work they do, attention to detail and long term goals. They also do project work but in the background has always been the idea of helping to build a proper almond industry association in Afghanistan. They have analysed and worked on all aspects of the almond supply chain from nurseries to processing, taken best practice and looked at what can be implemented in Afghanistan. Its great to talk to Zach again I like his company and he offered me a job once, the two of them have masses of experience, information and contacts which they are very generous with. By the time we get back its 20:00. Finish email after midnight.

13th August 2009
Another good night of sleep, fantastic. I call John at 7.30 but his phone is off so get on with some e-mail, apparently one of the phone networks is down. Off to the Mercy Corps offices for a meeting to agree priorities for the next few critical weeks of the renovation and farm raisin production then back to the Kabul Inn to pack. Somehow despite only having an additional couple of KG's of raisins in my bag nothing fits. The bag has shrunk or my cold weather clothes have swelled in the heat (I have winter boots two fleeces and a water proof jacket for 3 days trekking at the end of the trip.) There is knock at the door and I am requested to go to reception. One of the GDA staff tells me I am now booked on a PIA flight to Islamabad and now have to get to the airport for 12. Instead of having lunch with John and Humayoon we collect John and whiz off to the airport. A few checks outside the terminals and we arrive at the distant car park. Apparently we are too early the PIA check in is not open so we must wait in the sun (and a poilce man makes us go back and stand behind some razor wire) when we are allowed to the terminal it is revealed I have a standby ticket. Have to sit on my bag and wait 90 mins until after 14.00 (the departure time). I was Interested to note that some people were allowed to arrive a full two hours late for the flight before PIA would consider telling them to f*** right off and turn up on time next time you b******s. The flight is 1 hour delayed its past 14.00 and the PIA staff are studiously avoiding eye contact. The UNHCR flight to Islamabad check in is next door. I couldn't get a confirmation yesterday hence the PIA ticket. I better check if the UN flight is full. No and I am on the reserve list, great. In the meantime PIA have processed my bag and ticket. Who cares I'm flying. Make way to waiting room and hear the UN flight being called. Oh that's a shame could have been on that one. I make enquiries when is the PIA flight leaving? The place is still in Islamabad is the chirpy reply. What a beastly bore I mutter to myself and take a seat in the departure lounge. We take off 4 hours late. Proof reading some snack bar wrappers for the contract manufacture part of our business and having a nice chat with a really bright and interesting 14 year old Manc/Afghan pass the time pleasantly. The only down side is that Toblerone is in my field of view. Toblerone is my least favourite confectionary product never the less I like to take photographs of airport toblerone displays and send them to an American I once met who was surprised at my vehemence. I never thought that Toblerone would reach Kabul but there it is in the shiny new duty free goods shop in the shiny new terminal. ****ing Toblerone. I bet Mullah Omah hated Toblerone if so that's one thing I'm absolutely 100% with him on. It's totally unacceptable.

Whiz through Islamabad airport arrivals in five minutes, unprecedented. The baggage carrousel starts before I get to it, amazing. Lovely Hunza Embassy Lodge have arranged a taxi to collect me and Sher Ghazi our partner in Gilgit has arranged for me to collect a ticket for the morning flight at the airport. My flight and reservation is confirmed (I think). There is high speed internet and air conditioning in the room brilliant, its much hotter and more humid than Kabul it must be 60% humidity and 35 degrees outside.
Nice pot of Pakistani tea (made with milk) and a bit of work while the room cools down. Getting comfy and thinking about the 05.30 wake up call when the city power goes off, and the generator can not run the AC. Oh dear my room is now a sauna.

We work out I need a 05.30 alarm call to catch the 08.00 flight to Gilgit but it's very late before the power comes back and I get to sleep.

14th August 2009
Ring ring
Yes
Alarm call sir.
I look at my phone - it's 4.30. Go to find night attendant.
Its 4.30
No sir 5.30
Back to room check phone setting for Pakistan time. I check computer at the top of stairs. Its definitely 4.30 I find the night attendant. Its 4.30. No sir 5.30. Its 4.30. No sir 5.30
No its 4.30
No sir. New time sir.
What?
New time sir.
New time?
Yes sir new time sir.
Apparently 6 months ago the new government decided to change from GMT + 5 to GMT +6. Grrrrrrrrrrr.
The flight to Gilgit is always touch and go, visibility is required as some of the mountains in the north are higher than the cruising altitude of the plane. It regularly turns back after take off and is even more regularly cancelled. The alternative is a road trip of at least 15 hours, this year its 21 hours as the Karakorum Highway is being improved by Chinese contractors and road works litter the northern section. August is usually a good month to fly and there has been a two week unbroken spell of good weather this year. I am on the East side flying north so miss watching the morning sun on Nanga Parbat (2nd highest mountain in Pakistan after K2). But great views to the Hindu Kush and Parmirs.
Sher meets me off the plane and we head off to the office via my hotel.
Given the economic situation we agree that the modest Riviera is more appropriate than the Serena. It's clean and cool and a quarter of the price.

Good general catch up session with Sher, Jamilla and Shaeena. We set a visit agenda and discuss new developments for Mountain Fruits and Fullwell Mill.
Its great to be back here. We finish at 13.00 back to the hotel and sleep for 4 hours....

Richard in Afghanistan Part 3

2009-08-14T16:13:00.002+01:00

I know I shouldn't complain but although the room has air conditioning it only seems to have an off or an on setting. On is paralysingly cold and off is suffocatingly hot and is in turn much better than 25,000,000 Afghans have, never the less it doesn't help me get any sleep. I have to turn the air conditioning off/on during the night depending on whether I am paralysingly cold or suffocatingly hot. The paralysingly cold option is apparently unusual in Kabul city power is having an uncharacteristically long run of continuity, 12 hours in 24 is more like par for the course.

Hot water for a shower is brilliant, it thaws me out after I pass out and sleep for a full two hours on cold mode with a single sheet.

A very good visit to our processing partner Bagram Fruit's factory in Charicar (90 mins north of Kabul), the plant renovation plan is progressing well, I was able to advise on a few cost savings and alterations which make product and people separation and process flow best practice more attainable, and have good discussions with Humayoon. It's also good to spend more time with the whole Mercy Corps GDA team which includes the wonderful Amanullah, who I previously knew as a manager at Bagram Fruit.

There is a glitch at one of the raisin collection sites in that a neighbour who lives next to a piece of land which Mercy Corps have permission to build on, objects to the small structure although he can't actually see it from his walled compound. Apparently the traffic of a few farmers occasionally dropping off raisins will be a major inconvenience. Afghan NIMBYS somehow you don't expect it...

John asks me to attend a meeting with USAID who are Mercy Corps' donor on the GDA program. We pick up Mike, a Scottish Mercy Corps staffer and head to the USAID office is opposite the US embassy. The security is unbelievable, I am probably not allowed to even describe it since cars are not allowed within 200m of the actual compound and cameras are confiscated and locked away. A bag, you've got a bag, are you havin' a laugh. Jut say a lot of check points even more gentlemen with guns. The closer to the meting we got the more armed men there are. The US embassy must have more guards than staff. One of the ladies in our meeting is initially more intimidating than the guards but soon thaws when we have answers to her quite probing questions. In the end she seems a full on convert to fair trade and asks about other possibilities for Afghanistan. Although John and Mike would have also earned awards for their significant supporting parts modesty prevents etc.

I have an hour to comment on walnut and packaging problems back home by e-mail and have a shave before going out for dinner to meet Kelly, John's wife.

Richard in Afghanistan Part 2

2009-08-14T15:55:00.002+01:00

Monday 10Th
It's a nice early start to catch the 06.30 flight to Kabul so I book a wake up call for 4.15. My head is still on UK time 4 hours behind so I don't get to sleep until past 1.00. Unfortunately the hotel reception have a sleep detector device, hidden in my room, it soon alerts staff to my resting state and prompts a 3.15 wake up call. Just about to get into the shower before I realise. A stupefied zombie I arrive at airport a little late but with plenty of time. Formalities over I board the Kam Air flight with many of my sweat box buddies from the Embassy. Mercy Corps and many other ex-pat staff are now allowed to fly on the Afghan national carrier as it is deemed unsafe by the civil aviation authority, so this flight is full. We fly over Iran and the mountain terrain of southern Afghanistan, apart from sparse trees on mountain tops the only green areas are irrigated fields beside steep mountain streams dry since the snow melt. Some cultivated areas are amazingly remote. The switchback roads down the nearest habitation seem to run for ever even from 20,000 feet. Touch down in Kabul, it's nearly two years since I was here last, the military build up since then is very obvious. As we taxi to the terminal at least 10 times as much infrastructure and equipment is now on show. With all this equipment and personnel evidently pouring in, the war in the south of the country seems more present than previously. I visited Kandahar in 2006 but I'm glad not to be going down there now like the lads I met yesterday.

Feeling pensive I concentrate on the exciting new terminal building, it has a baggage carousel that works without the need for men to push the bags along but the best thing is the Foreigner Registration card is now free (instead of the deliberately inconvenient $11) AND can now be obtained from an obvious place in the airport rather than a very crowded ministry building in town. Last time this ministry had queues which would snort with derision at the so called queue of yesterday. This is real progress! There's even a picture taking service in case you don't happen to have two passport size photos. I had more than two of course and held up the line while the official and I debated which were the best.

John at Mercy Crops GDA program manager met me at the public car park which is a good distance and a couple tank traps away from the terminal. The driver radioed to a base and we set off to my modest but comfortable guest house. Ten minute kip and off for lunch with John and Humayoon Aslamy. Humayoon is an Afghan American who is one of the few people investing his own money in to Afghanistan. We first met three years ago when I visited his factory site and he showed me pictures of the military equipment a local warlord, who took over the site in the 90's, had left behind.

Fullwell Mill/Tropical Wholefoods, Mercy Crops and Humayoon's business Bagram Fruit each have a vital role in the program. Mercy Corps have provided the funding, worked through the fair trade labelling organisation's complex paperwork and organised over 300 interested farmers from several village organisations in a producer group which will be accountable, democratic and responsible for the distribution of the fair trade premium. Bagram will wash, grade and pack the raisins. We will advise on agricultural, processing, business and IT best practice, vouch for the process, import to the UK and find a market for up to 6 container loads of raisins (approximately 100 tonnes). There are no shortage of issues to discuss over lunch.

Finally get some sleep in the afternoon before an extensive e-mail session. Almonds are on the agenda among other things. Pete is reasonably optimistic that the cluster price problem can be solved. I've also got the talk about Afghan almonds while I am here. Tea and an early night.

Richard in Afghanistan

2009-08-14T15:15:00.008+01:00

Wed 5th
Trying to get many loose ends tied up before trip to Afghanistan & Pakistan. AM checked to see if passports returned from Pak and Af embassies yet. No post had arrived at 10.30am. Forgot to re-check until 16.00, John says no passports have arrived! Called Afghan embassy polite gentleman apologised for not sending passport back as promised in the conversation he recalled of... last last Friday was it? It's on his desk but it's too late to post tonight. Similar story at Pakistani High Commission very genial official apologised profusely, visa is complete but it seemed it had not been posted on Monday as promised in Fridays e-mail. I'm Flying Saturday, flights are booked, can't risk passports not being returned on time, will have to go to London tomorrow.

Thurs 6th
06.30 train to KingsX, tube and brisk walk to Afghan Embassy. Very hot have to keep nice and polite, collect passport 1, find somewhere to have a phone conference at 11.00 and get to Pakistani High Commission by 12 to collect passport 2. Afghans polite give me passport back but refuse to give me a credit for my visa fee despite not giving me a visa and the normal price being £50 not £100 I paid for a fast track. Calm, calm, calm. Find a table at the tennis club in Hyde Park, get coffee and cake and log into phone conference re Fairtrade almonds we hope to supply to a very large company who are getting involved in fair trade. All questions are answered everything looks good just need to confirm with our partner they will be able to bring delivery forward so we can get 16 tonnes in January. Plenty of time to stroll down to Pakistan HC the helpful official calls me just as I arrive at the door so i walk in and out in 5 minutes. Back to Kings Cross and jump on the 13.30 train to Durham. On the drive home the company who will process the almond for the large company call. They have problem with the almond price can I check my quote. I check it, price still same as in April I email both for comparison and go to the pub.

Friday 7th
Get to factory early hoping for early finish travelling tomorrow but there is a 20 item to do list. I speak to our partner in Pakistan January is no problem. Revise the delivery and payment schedule and send. Try to speak to my contacts at the large company and their supplier. Some hours later I find that there has been a price error. The complicated roasted chopped cluster is now too expensive and the whole project is in jeopardy. If this does not come off it means 12 months of on and off unpaid work for us. At least I got to the bottom of the to do list (with the help of pretty much everyone in the factory).

Saturday 8th
Get to airport in good time with new pair of sandals purchased on route. Quick call to brief Peter our MD on Almonds - he has been off work since Wednesday on holiday. Catch flight to Dubai I have to stay here for two nights while the NGO we are working with get me a visa for Afghanistan. Should definitely have left it to them rather than trying to 'save time' by getting one in London.

Saturday 9th
Quick breakfast before a brief exposure to the 40 degree heat of Dubai between the hotel and taxi, whew what a scorcher but is nice and cool in the taxi. The local fixer skilfully negotiates the Afghan Embassy queue and gets me some forms to fill in, pretty painless I think but it is quite warm in this room hope this doesn't take long. After 30 minutes and several visits to the harassed official behind the counter we repair to the waiting room proper. Long thin undecorated, sticky black plastic seats and very very very hot. Its a little piece of Kabul transferred to an even hotter climate. My fixer insists that I sit down while he joins the 100 man scrum which besieges two windows staffed by underpaid functionaries. Documents are handed in at one window and a chit is handed back at the other (some hours later). It is very difficult for people to leave the front of the queue once they complete their business. Except when the crowd parts Red Sea like to allow window access to a Female NGO worker. We wait from 10.30 til 14.00. Amongst the crowd there's a group of Brits who are new recruits to a company doing close security work (convoy escorts etc). All in their 40's their military days/careers are long past, most are family men who the credit crunch has forced to fall back on skills last used in the first gulf war. Eventually we get the chit and go outside it's at least 45 degrees now. The chit has to go back to the Afghan Embassy at 1700 to be swapped for my passport. I don't have to go with it, its certainly one of those days that makes you thankful not to be a visa scrumger for soft NGO dilettantes.

tropical wholefoods blog

2009-07-31T15:57:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Tropical Wholefoods blog!

Look out here for all our UK and overseas news.

Upcoming blogs soon from Richard Friend, our technical director who is visiting Afghanistan and Pakistan in early August. In Afghanistan Richard is working with Bagram Fruits and farmers to develop Fairtrade raisin production; in Pakistan he is working with Mountain Fruits who we source our Fairtrade apricots, apricot kernels, walnuts and almonds from. We have also just started buying FT walnut and apricot kernel shells from MF for use in FT cosmetics.