Meeting of Minds Offers new Hope to a Sustainable Future for the Land of Promise

AMSTERDAM, November 17, 2011 -

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The reality of the impact of the global pineapple industry on the environment and local people was tackled at a three day symposium in Davao City in Mindanao, the Philippines. The event was hosted by Fairfood International through the campaign, The Land of Promise. The organisation, alongside various stakeholders in the pineapple industry, discussed emerging issues on sustainability for the industry, workers, and affected peoples alike. Tomorrow, Thursday 17 November, a follow up symposium will be held in Amsterdam.

The Philippine island of Mindanao, also known as the Land of Promise, is home to an extraordinarily rich biodiversity. However, despite its rich biodiversity, the economy and the exports from Mindanao are mainly dominated by a crop that is not natural to the island: the pineapple. The production and trade of this prickly fruit is not always carried out with regard to the land and its people.

Participants at the conference prioritised the top 10 issues affecting the pineapple industry and brainstormed on additional research and new courses of actions. The speakers provided a background on some of the issues related to the environmental, social, and economic aspects of Fairfood International’s sustainability agenda to create a more informed context for the discussions. Freedom of association, pesticide use and land rights are some of the major concerns.

On Thursday November 17^th Fairfood will meet with other NGOs in Amsterdam to discuss how they can strengthen and compliment each other’s advocacy efforts towards companies within the pineapple industry.  

Fairfood International, with help from the Dutch Postcode Lottery, will encourage the pineapple industry towards becoming more sustainable, on Mindanao and in the rest of the world. One of the indigenous leaders at the conference said “This conference opened our eyes and minds to the windows and doors of hope. This also ensures the availability of effective mechanisms for the indigenous people to pursue an economic, social and environmentally sustainable programme.”  Fairfood International strives to do just that - enable Mindanao, the Land of Promise, to live up to its name for generations to come.

Note for the editor: Photo and video available, at request.

Fairfood International is a global movement of people passionate about facilitating change towards a sustainable food and beverage industry.

The Dutch Postcode Lottery contributes to a greener and more just world by generating structural support for charities that commit themselves to issues pertaining to human rights, nature and environment. 50 percent of the lottery’s income goes to the 81 organisations that the Dutch Postcode Lottery supports.

Contact: Land of Promise Communications, Heleen Lansu, heleen.lansu at fairfood.org, +31-6-27243109; Fairfood International press room, Abigail Joffre, abigail.joffre at fairfood.org, +31-6-27244906