A Ghanaian entrepreneur, George Kporye, has been nominated for the 2016 Global Fairtrade Awards, a prestigious international agricultural award that celebrates producers, traders and individuals who go the extra mile to ensure fair trade in the agricultural sector.
George Kporye, who is the Fairtrade Officer and Corporate Affairs & Administration Manager at Golden Exotics Ltd, is the only nominee from Sub-Saharan Africa competing with nine others from across the world.
The nine other candidates come from India, Costa Rica, Germany, Morocco, United States, England, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
The ultimate winner of the award is expected to be announced by the end of the year. The winner will then receive his or her prize package in March, 2016.
George Kporye, whose work has been widely recognized, was once an Advisor to the Kufuor Administration on Irrigation and Agriculture.
Speaking to Citi News’ Mr. George Kporye said although his nomination came to him as a surprise, he is confident it will boost the country’s image considering that agriculture is the mainstay of the country’s economy.
Mr. Kporye further indicated that, the award will open up the country to greater agricultural investments in the future.
Golden Exotics Limited, based in Ghana, is a leading banana producer in West Africa.
The company received Fairtrade Certification and started trading in banana under the product certification system in 2013 and has since been receiving premiums by selling bananas to Fairtrade.
Per the Fairtrade model, consumers deliberately choose to buy products at a slightly higher price in order to offer the additional revenue to the primary producers.
Workers using the Fairtrade premiums have been able to implement a number of education, nutrition, health care and training projects for their communities.
Golden Exotics Limited currently employs over 2,500 workers across its chain of production.
The company is the largest exporter of Banana in the country.
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By: Kwame Botchway/Citifmonline.com/Ghana