The Cook and his new Pots
Fulfillment – defined variously as ‘measuring up to,’ ‘completing’, ‘bringing into effect’ and so on – must rank as one of life’s great emotions whether applied to one’s job, one’s promises, one’s dream or in fact any form of human endeavour. And it is fulfillment that we felt when watching this desperately poor Batticaloa cook,...
New World Order and all its challenges
Doha has failed, but has it really? It has served a purpose in demonstrating the new world order where once muted, less developed countries are sharing the power of the once dominant club of developed states. The poor farmers have lost this round, but in the new world order, they have a better chance. No...
WTO seven years on. They must be kidding …
It has been a while since Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah of the Christian Council of Ghana famously commented, “International trade between my country and the West is like an antelope and a giraffe competing for food which is at the top of a tree. You can make the ground beneath their feet level, but the contest...
- TEA - / dilmah / Ethics / Images of Tea / Nothing Whatsoever to do with Tea / Tea Tasting / Unbelievable Tea Experiences
Is it CSR or just business as usual?
The June 2008 issue of ‘The Director’ Magazine of the IoD, included a well researched feature on the subject of CSR. It was to me, an informative, yet bewildering overview of the subject. Informative because it is a comprehensive and well researched feature, bewildering because in many cases, the businesses that practice this ‘corporate social...
The business of tea (and everything else)
Life has become a compromise – in tea, it is a compromise (for most brand owners) between profit and quality, with quality losing out unfortunately. Ultimately though the power to tip that balance back in favour of quality lies with the customer. The more customers know about tea, the better for integrity in tea. Of...
Passion
Passion. The word conjures up a myriad of images but the relevance of passion that ranks as most significant in our world in 2008, has to be that of ‘dedication’. The concepts of ‘specialization’, ‘a job for life’ and ‘devotion’ to a mission’ are mostly obsolete today, replaced by gross commercialism in every aspect of...
You’re missing the point – it’s about the price ..
Sunday’s news was full of the ‘Primark Scandal’ which has attracted a swift and ferocious response from Primark. Naturally the company feigns ignorance of exploitative labour practices amongst its suppliers and comforts itself with reference to its Code of Practice. Inevitably the denial has transferred the blame to its suppliers. But supplier standards in this...
A response to fairtrade (again)
Having just seen Steve Knapp’s reply to my father’s interview with the New Zealand Herald, this comes as a belated but important response. Mr. Knapp trivialises my father’s argument by overlooking two very important elements 1. Fairtrade has made a significant contribution to the issue of trade justice by bringing awareness of the problem. However...
Is that really fair?
In my post on Fairtrade – the brand – there was a response to the Organisation’s criticism of Dilmah. You can find it here. In this case, and countless others previously, we as producer are being critcised by Fairtrade for not being, Fairtrade. Their reference is to their system of certification of course and not to...
Food Miles – a reality check
The environment and climate change, together with poverty and the related malnutrition, are without a doubt the most urgent and substantial challenges that our 21st Century civilization must face. Yet we have failed so far in crystallizing a consensus and a co-ordinated approach to these issues. Until we do so, and when that happens it will probably...
Fresh fruit .. naturally fair, naturally delicious
One of the most beautiful fruit shop in the world – a stone’s throw from Uda Walawe National Park – where the fruit, spice and vegetables are ripened or matured on the tree, bush or root, usually in a plot owned by the fruit and vegetable seller herself, and where taste and flavours are authentic and untainted by...
The final Axiom : the world according to ‘Wall-E’