Producers

Bergendal, Citrusdal, photo by Margie JansenMr. Ryno Andrews

Note to the reader
Ryno Andrews is 17 years old and both his parents work at Bergendal farm, in the Citrusdal Region, Western Cape. Bergendal became Fairtrade certified in 2003 for its wine grapes. It then extended certification to all its other products: rooibos tea, oranges and soft citrus. Bergendal farm is part of a group of four Fairtrade producers that supply grapes for the Six Hats Fairtrade wine range, made at the Citrusdal Wines Cellar.

The Six Hats range of Fairtrade wines was launched in 2009 and is one of a small, but growing range of South African Fairtrade Wines in the market. The brand is built around a concept that seeks to highlight the various roles and responsibilities that are assumed by all parties involved in progressive and equitable wine farming. The six ‘hats’ are worn by both the farmer and the community, and the results of these positive collaborations are borne out in the successes that have been seen on the farms to date.

The various roles have been summarised and are represented on our label by six elegantly illustrated hats. The Six Hats principles that we have identified are PARTNERSHIP, CHANGE, POTENTIAL, EQUITY, DIGNITY and SUSTAINABILITY.

This is the story of how Fairtrade, along with the six principles, is contributing to Ryno's future.

Bergendal farm and Fairtrade
The van Zyl family has been farming in the Citrusdal region for the last 52 years. Their farm, Bergendal, is nestled amongst the Cederberg Mountains and yields a spectacular view from the Piekenierskloof Pass. The area, also called the Gateway to the Cederberg, is well known for its citrus, wine grapes, rooibos tea and soft fruit production and Bergendal farm is no exception. It supplies grapes to the Citrusdal Wines cellar, home to the Six Hats range of Fairtrade wines. The cellar is a co-operative that includes a number of Fairtrade farmers and Six Hats is the first of its wines to be Fairtrade certified and introduced to the South African market.

The van Zyl family is not only leaving a legacy in the fruit, wine and tea production line, but is investing in the community of people. In 2006, three years after obtaining Fairtrade certification, 91 farm workers became shareholders with the creation of the Bergendal Workers Trust. Six months later a rooibos tea plantation was developed and in 2007 a packinghouse was built and a fruit exporting company, Everseason, established. At the same time the Carmien rooibos tea marketing company was started up. The trust holds shares from each of these ventures, ensuring diverse and profitable dividends.

The van Zyl motto seems to be “grow, share and expand”. A number of shareholding farm workers are a part of the marketing team and are involved in showcasing Six Hats and other wines at major wine fairs. “It’s a real team effort,” Ronel van Zyl, owner, says. “And that’s good.”

Ryno at school, photo by Margie JansenRyno Andrews
17-year-old Ryno Andrews is reaping the good fruit of the close relationship between employers and farm workers. Ryno is of the fourth generation of the Andrews’ clan on Bergendal farm, the son of William Andrews and Nancy Ndaba. He is a grade 11 learner at Citrusdal High School, which he has attended and boarded at for the past two years. His younger sister, Wilmarie Ndaba, is in grade 7 at the same school.

A typical teen, Ryno enjoys talking about his friends and sports. Soccer is his favourite sport to play. “But they don’t offer it here,” Ryno shrugs. An arena in which Ryno has excelled, however, is that of debating. His teacher and coach, Susan Steyl, helped him to enter into the Young Communicators Awards. This national public speaking competition is aimed at grade 11 and 12 learners who are not native English speakers.
His talk on the merits of keeping porcupines on farms to eradicate invasive plants, which he researched entirely on his own, got him through two rounds of the tough competition. “He did exceptionally well,” Susan smiles. “We’ll enter again next year.”

Investing in the youth with the Fairtrade Premium
Ryno’s proud parents’ financial burden is significantly lessened by the Fairtrade Premium, which covers their children’s school and boarding fees as well as the cost of their school uniforms and other essential school supplies. The Fairtrade Premium is a sum of money paid by traders on top of the produce price. It allows farm workers to invest in projects they consider necessary for their communities. The Citrusdal community agreed to invest in their children. “That’s the most beautiful thing to me,” Ryno’s mom says. “The kids who want to work hard now have the opportunity.”
Since Bergendal farm received Fairtrade accreditation in 2003, the farm workers have managed to accomplish a fair deal of projects with the Premium earned. Amongst other initiatives, farm workers’ homes were improved, a recreational hall and after care centre was built, and the local crèche was renovated.

Ryno is a young man who takes a lot of initiative. Susan animatedly explains how he, on his own accord, adapted his speech during the competition. “He noticed that the other participants asked a question before they greeted the audience. He picked this up, on his own, and changed his speech.” He has dreams of studying nature conservation and advocating for the preservation of the environment. Ryno’s greatest ambition is to be a role model for other young people in the area. Once he has completed his tertiary education, he intends to return home to help nurture the next generation. It is evident that to plough into Ryno, is to invest in the future.

Ryno, Susan and Wilmarie, photo by Margie JansenRyno’s close-knit family is well known and respected. It is clear to all that his parents William and Nancy foster a stable and nurturing environment for the children. Ryno and his sister Wilmarie both attended Paardekop Primary, a farm school a stone’s throw from Bergendal farm. Their teachers enthusiastically vouch for their “good manners”. Wilmarie is a soft-spoken 13-year-old girl and, like her brother, is endowed with a lot of talent. Her outstanding school record at the primary school afforded her a recommendation for an early acceptance to Citrusdal High School.  She enjoys math and dreams of being a singer. “Wilmarie is a hard-worker. She’s got determination,” says Paardekop principal, Ms. de Villiers.

It is obvious that the children’s future is at the heart and soul of the community’s development efforts. “It’s a team effort,” Ms. de Villiers says. “No one can do it alone: Not the teachers, not the parents, not the government, not Fairtrade. Everyone needs to work together.”

The Citrusdal community illustrates that, indeed, it takes a village to raise a child.

[This story was written by Margaret Jansen on behalf of Fairtrade Label South Africa]

How can I contribute?
For every bottle of Fairtrade wine sold, 55 cents are paid in Fairtrade Premium to the farm workers. The Premium is invested in projects for the social and economic development of farm workers, their families and communities - such as investing in the education of farm workers' children, as the story of Ryno tells. For more information on Six Hats wines, visit our product page.

I want to know more!
Visit Citrusdal Wines website, www.citrusdalwines.co.za, and find out more about the wines, Bergendal and the other farms involved in this exciting project. You can also follow Six Hats Wines on Twitter.
Watch the video of Bergendal farm workers talking about the improvements achieved with Fairtrade:

GO BACK TO THE LIST OF WORKERS STORIES

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