Vanuatu has just marked the fifth anniversary of its participation in New Zealand’s Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme with a celebration attended by labour commissioner Lionel Kaluat, New Zealand high commissioner to the Pacific archipelago Bill Dobbie and other officials and stakeholders.

RSE has benefited 11,000 Ni-Vanuatu workers and their families and has earned Vt 3.8 billion (£25 million). The scheme is the country’s second biggest contributor to the economy after tourism.

Gary Jones, membership manager at Pipfruit NZ said: “RSE stacks up better than other fair-trade schemes, as it is highly regulated by the New Zealand and Pacific governments and is overseen by the World Bank and academics who evaluate its cultural, social and economic impacts.

"The fact is, it is the poorest in the village that directly trade their labour and get the benefit and not the landowner. There is no fair-trade margin, they get the New Zealand market rate and at harvest they are paid per bin. As they come back each year they get faster and faster and are now the highest paid in the industry.”

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