Volta River Estates Limited (VREL) is a Fairtrade banana farm situated in Ghana in West Africa. It is made up out of five plantations on the banks of the Volta River, south of the Volta Lake, the biggest man-made lake in Africa. The company exports 85% of its fruit to Europe through AgroFair, a Fairtrade fruit company owned by banana, mango and pineapple growers in the developing world of which VREL is one of the shareholders. In 2001 VREL started a conversion process to become an organic Fairtrade fruit producer and since 2005 three of the five plantations are Fairtrade organic.

Huub van den Broek, Managing Director at VREL, says: "Ghana is ideally suited for organic production. Organic farming is traditional here. The fact that no chemicals are used is a benefit not only to our workforce but also to the environment and that is a very positive step forward for all of us."

Organic farm manager Ernest Adzim explains:
"Because we are the first company in Ghana to produce bananas at large scale, we don’t have banana or plantain plantations close by. That’s why the disease level is very low and this place is ideal for organic production."

Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. It guarantees that disadvantaged farmers will receive a fair and just price for their products and in addition a Fairtrade Premium which directly benefits the farmers.

Alex Yeboah-Afari, Personal Manager at VREL, explains: "Of the extra money that the consumers pay for every box Fairtrade bananas, one dollar goes straight to the workers. This premium helps the workers to overcome their first living problems and, when we have a good year, it pays for something extra like a bicycle and a Christmas bonus."
British celebrity and comedian Harry Hill, who visited the VREL farm, says: "Fairtrade is such a simple idea and that’s why it appealed to me. It’s a system which guarantees a fair deal to farmers for crops grown in the developing world. Going shopping is something we all have to do and just by paying a few pence more for things which carry the Fairtrade Mark, we can help families on the other side of the world."