Attendees:

Lesley Clarke                                     – High Wycombe Town Councillor & Fairtrade supporter

Shirley Salazar Porras                   – Grecia Fair Trade Town (Organizer and Host)

Marvin Olviedo                                 – General Manager CoopeVictoria

Mariella                                                – General Manager (Deputy) CoopeVictoria

Esteban Zamora                               – Commercial Manager CoopeVictoria (English speaker)

Daylin Frances Anchia                   – Sustainability Manager, CoopeVictoria (English speaker)

Grettel Aragon Ramirez                 – Executive Director – Grecia Chamber of Commerce

Mike King                                            – Chairman, Wycombe For Fairtrade

Claudia Mangoldt                            – Interpreter

Online Meeting Summary

This was the first meeting of Grecia and High Wycombe Mayors, Grecia and Wycombe Fairtrade Towns groups, and the managers of CoopeVictoria for nearly 3 years, and provided an excellent opportunity for the new mayors and new personnel at CoopeVictoria to meet each other for the first time and regenerate our partnership.

The online Teams conference was conducted in a very informal, friendly, open, and respectful atmosphere. Despite some technical glitches at the start, there was ample time for everyone to introduce themselves – name, role, and interests. Claudia Mangoldt kindly acted as translator between the Grecia and Wycombe delegations. Sadly, two people from WFTO/CLAC who were invited, including Maria Angela Zamor Chaves who used to work for CoopeVictoria, were unavailable.

The Grecia Mayor, Donald Quesada welcomed everyone and together with the CoopeVictoria managers, thanked the High Wycombe mayors and Wycombe For Fairtrade for their continued interest, support, and motivation in continuing this Fair-Trade Town relationship and in promoting Grecia and CoopeVictoria Fairtrade products. The Grecia Mayor extended invitations to all the Wycombe members to visit Costa Rica and Grecia in particular. This was echoed by all the CoopeVictoria managers too! Majid reciprocated by inviting the Grecia Mayor and the senior managers of CoopeVictoria to visit High Wycombe as well. This was an introductory meeting essentially which took some months to organize to set dates and times that would be convenient for all participants.

Personally, it was very gratifying to reconnect with Marvin Olviedo and Shirley Salazar who I met when Sheena and I visited Grecia in 2022. It was also satisfying to finally meet and talk with Donald Quesada Rodriguez, the new mayor of Grecia as well as two new CoopeVictoria senior managers, Daylin and Esteban., both fluent English speakers and very approachable.

Analysis

• Re-established contact with Grecia Mayor, Grecia Fair Trade, and CoopeVictoria senior management.
• Grecia is High Wycombe’s Fairtrade Partner Town with informal links starting in 2018 and formally ratified in May 2020.
• This constructive meeting demonstrated that the High Wycombe Grecia relationship was still strong and there was mutual interest to continue to develop this partnership into the future involving some possible joint projects, so further cementing our links.
• This partnership between High Wycombe and Grecia Fairtrade Towns also includes CoopeVictoria, a 3000 – farmer Fairtrade coffee and sugar producer cooperative.
• It was agreed that Esteban Zamora would in the next 3 weeks set up a Teams meeting with me (and any other interested Wycombe For Fairtrade group member) to discuss a project to engage with local coffee roasters and independent cafes, to sample CoopeVictoria Fairtrade coffee beans.
• Daylin Achin, the Sustainability Manager, was also keen to re-establish a link between a High Wycombe and Grecia secondary school. According to her email reply, she will arrange a Teams meeting to discuss a plan within the next three weeks. Daylin was supportive of the idea to engage with young people and promote Fairtrade through education.
• Judging by the numbers of senior CoopeVictoria managers present in the meeting and the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Grettel Aragon Ramirez, Grecia value and appreciate the partnership with High Wycombe highly and Wycombe For Fairtrade’s continuing promotion of Grecia and the Fairtrade Cooperative. Our motivation and openness were also noted and mentioned.
• The Grecia Team seemed to be impressed that Wycombe For Fairtrade was hoping to formerly link up with the Fairtrade Town of Kelkheim in Germany this year. Kelkheim and High Wycombe have been Twin Towns for over 40 years.
• This online meeting, which was recorded by CoopeVictoria/Grecia Fairtrade was vital in updating our contact with our partner town and provides evidence of our international links with a Fairtrade Town in the Global South, in addition to continuing Wycombe Foir Fairtrade’s connection with a Fairtrade certified producer.

Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe For Fairtrade