The price of the baskets has gone up since March 2020: the small basket is now €3.60, whereas previously it was €3.50 and the big basket rose from €7 to €7.20.
Until then, and since the start of Fruta Feia in November 2013, the price of the baskets remained unchanged. The reason for the increase was the arrival of COVID-19, which made us face extra costs, such as buying face masks, gloves and disinfectant gel. Today, after almost two years, these costs have become increasingly irrelevant compared with the other expenses that our co-op supports, yet the prices of the baskets have not returned to their original value. The reason for this is, after re-analyzing our business model, we saw that this value could be channeled to an increase in the price paid to farmers for the ugly fruits and vegetables we use for the baskets. We decided to do this, and we were also able to increase our salaries.
By ensuring an increase in the ammount we pay to our farmers for what they produce, we are consolidating the relevance of our role in the fight against food waste. Paying an amount that covers the cost of production is one thing, but wanting to go beyond that is assuming the proper meaning of one of Fruta Feia's most important objectives.
Raising the amount paid to farmers, increasing the wages of workers in the cooperative and maintaining the project's financial sustainability without losing the values that define us is a clear sign that we are moving in the right direction. Which is great, because we do this with pleasure!
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