As the Drakenstein Municipality gears up to host Africa’s first International Fairtrade Towns Conference this weekend, concerns are being raised by the Women on Farms Project (WFP) and farm workers about the true state of labour and housing conditions on Fairtrade-certified farms in the Western Cape.

While the event is meant to highlight ethical trading, local activists argue that the situation on the ground paints a different picture.

In a statement, the WFP brought forward findings of a 2022 study conducted on 18 Fairtrade-certified farms, four of which are located within the Drakenstein Municipality. Despite the Fairtrade label, the report revealed numerous violations of workers’ rights, with many workers earning less than the National Minimum Wage. 93% of women surveyed did not consider their wages to be sufficient for a decent living, and more than half of the respondents were exposed to pesticides at work. Additionally, 35% lacked access to basic sanitary facilities, while 15% did not have access to safe drinking water.

“While certain aspects of labour and living conditions on Fairtrade-certified are marginally better than on non-Fairtrade farms, Fairtrade certification has not brought about meaningful transformation of labour and power relations on farms,” the statement read.

The research also uncovered that audits conducted by FLO-CERT, the body responsible for verifying Fairtrade compliance, failed to capture these violations. Samuel says 23% of women surveyed reported being instructed by farm managers on what to say during audits. She says there’s been a culture of fear and intimidation, noting that workers are worried they may be let go, if they speak out.

More than 30 woman farm workers gathered at a popular wine farm in Paarl on Friday, to raise awareness on their plight.

At the same time, protesters called out the Drakenstein Municipality for failing to support evicted farm workers.

The WFP statement read that a 2022 Western Cape High Court ruling noted that the municipality had not fulfilled its constitutional duty to provide emergency housing for evictees, allocating only R1 million from its R2bn budget.

“How is it the Drakenstein Municipality are now part of an international Fairtrade town, when they don’t look after farm workers who lives within their boundaries, and when they are not sensitive to the needs of evicted farm workers?”

The Drakenstein Municipality has refuted these claims, stating that it does not support or conduct evictions. It says it engages with farm owners to prevent evictions. In its press release, the municipality clarified that they work closely with local sheriffs to ensure they are aware of pending evictions and have offered emergency housing to those affected.

“The Municipality has always taken its responsibility to provide emergency housing seriously. The standard of emergency housing in Drakenstein has also historically been above the minimum guidelines specifications provided by National Government. Drakenstein Municipality has always adhered to court orders, fulfilled its obligations, and provided emergency accommodation when required.”

However, the WFP and other activists remain sceptical. They claim the alliance between Fairtrade and the municipality benefits farm owners at the expense of workers, who generate the farms’ wealth.

“How can they say that they don’t support evictions while there are so many evictions? They are giving these poles and tin roofs to workers, which is not adequate, which is not sufficient. It’s a shame.”