Renwick Rose, WINFA, wins Guardian Achievement Award

By Faith Mall, Media and PR Manager, Fairtrade Foundation

Fairtrade pioneer Renwick Rose has won the Guardian Achievement Award for International Development. Known as ‘banana man’ to those in the Foundation office, I couldn’t think of a more deserving recipient.

The award is designed to recognise some of the unsung heroes of international development. People who have made a profound contribution to the alleviation of poverty, working hard to make a difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.

Renwick has been at the helm of the agricultural development in the Windwards Islands for the last 40 years and as Coordinator of the Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) has been instrumental in farmers becoming Fairtrade certified.

At the Fairtrade Foundation, Renwick is known as the ‘banana man’ and during his visits to our offices in London, staff and commercial partners clamour to meet him for an update on everything from hurricane damage, current world banana prices and other advice or information on all things bananas. With one in four bananas sold in the UK now Fairtrade he is definitely a contributing factor to this fantastic statistic.

When he was announced as the winner a huge cheer went up because everyone in the room recognised what a deserving recipient of the International Development award he is. You can read an interview chronicling the achievement of this extraordinary man here.

When I went over to congratulate him, he said, clutching his award in his hand, in true Renwick fashion, this award belonged not to him but all the farmers of the Windward Islands. At long last, it’s great that their hardwork, resilience and contribution to development has got global recognition.