How can global trade be made fairer? Sharing is an effective tool. We share our sales with family farmers and our profits with customers, investors and employees.
Generally, the farming families around the world who produce our food earn too little, especially in the global South. That’s why we give back 10% of our sales proceeds to the families from whom we buy directly. So, if you purchase a box of Greek oranges from us for CHF 54 Swiss francs, CHF 5.40 from this amount will go directly to the farming families in Greece. They receive this money in addition to the organic purchase price that we have already paid them. We commit to giving back this additional amount no matter what – even if gebana reports losses the following year.
Using this approach, we will pay out EUR 210,977 to 2667 farming families in Burkina Faso and EUR 52,910 to 498 families in Togo. They have already received most of it, and the rest will follow later this year. In Greece, we are currently at EUR 256,193 for 75 families, a number that will continue to increase until the season ends in mid-June. Other countries will follow suit next year.
Here are some impressions of the turnover sharing of the farming families in Nafplio, Greece back in 2020:
When you buy in bulk and wait for fresh fruit, you make a significant contribution to the efficiency and sustainability of this system. You allow us to make a profit in the first place. That’s why we share one third of our profits with you.
In the past year, many people started buying their groceries online due to the coronavirus. That means 2020 was an exceptionally successful and profitable year for gebana. After review of our business figures, our customers are entitled to around EUR 390,000. We are reducing the prices of the entire gebana range by 10%, effective immediately. This discount will apply until the total of your profit share is used up. It is independent of our volume discounts, so you can simply order as usual and look forward to a lower bill!
Worldwide, almost 800 gebana employees work every day to make global trade fairer and more sustainable. They make a significant contribution to the success of the gebana system, so they also receive a third of the profits. Half goes to the employees in the North, and half to those in the global South. We distribute the amount in proportion to the gross annual wage.
The final third of the gebana profits goes to our shareholders, who have so far always reinvested this money directly in gebana.
gebana AG, Ausstellungsstrasse 21, 8005 Zürich, Schweiz
gebana AG, Ausstellungsstrasse 21, 8005 Zürich, Schweiz
Smallholders and local producers harvest and refine products of extraordinary quality worldwide. But for many of these producers there is no adequate or stable market. You can buy directly from these producers via the Access to Market Platform and help them to participate in the market. The principle behind this is crowd ordering – a new trade model whereby a number of consumers order a product together so as to achieve a minimum order quantity. We at gebana support the producers with our know-how, and organise the logistics.
Enable someone to make their first export with your order. Please note: Unexpected events often lead to delays, and you may find that the quality is not yet perfect. For this reason, your feedback is absolutely essential. The export experience and your feedback are important steps for the producers towards accessing the market. As a customer, you are witness to the whole process, playing your part in pioneering work.
You can order from these producers simply and directly. You receive your product as soon as the minimum order quantity has been reached and the products are ready. The risk for you is minimal, since the producers already have a product that is ready for market. This sales channel is beneficial to both the producers and the consumers, since it cuts out the middle man.
Be part of the development of supply chains and support innovation! Some of the ways you can do this include testing new products, giving feedback, or financially supporting the producers in their next steps. In doing so, you will be able to see for yourself how the products and supply chains develop.
This is where you can see all the completed projects on the Access to Market Platform at a glance. You can find out where products are now available from or whether the producers are still seeking a trade partner.