This award recognises the contribution Renwick Rose has made over the last 40 years through his work in civil society development and trade justice. In the 1990s, Rose spotted the value and necessity of organisation and cooperation at a time when the banana trade was entering a downwards spiral. He earned the trust of small-scale farmers who were struggling to make it onto the supermarket shelves and guided them through the process of Fair Trade Certification. The establishment of the Windward Island National Farmers' Network Association (WINFA) has generated security and progress which radiates out into the wider community.

Through their partnership with Fair Trade, the WINFA farmers earn a premium of a dollar for each box of bananas, which is invested democratically back into the community. In this way, the social, educational and trade infrastructure of the islands has begun to bloom. Rose's attempt at retirement in 2010 was thwarted by the devastating impact of the hurricane that destroyed farms across St Lucia and St Vincent. He returned immediately to lead the farming community on the uphill slope towards recovery, and, with his support, Windward Island bananas were back on the supermarket shelves within eight months.

In accepting the Guardian award, Rose highlighted the contribution made by all WINFA farmers in their struggle for trade justice,

“The award makes an important statement. In my case it is a validation of the long years of work with, and on behalf of, our embattled farmers in the Eastern Caribbean islands - farmers with tiny holdings based on family labour. In the case of the organisation with which I have worked these past 22 years, the Windward Islands farmers Association (WINFA), special mention must go to the struggles of our women farmers. Many of them are heads of single-parent households, whose lives represent living chapters in an unending story of the pursuit of life with equal opportunities, dignity and honour."

While optimistic about developments that have emerged in the farming community, Rose also recognises the need to make greater progress at an international level,

“The farmers of the Caribbean are calling to the international community to live up to its responsibilities to ensure a fair deal for all. Our vulnerability to natural disasters is dramatically demonstrated year after year and the threat of climate change and its harmful effects can have enormous implications for us. We are deeply honoured to have been recognised through the Award but for us it must become a platform on which we can all build and collectively play our part in the achievement of a just and sustainable world.”

The Guardian International Development Achievement award is designed to recognise some of the unsung heroes of international development. These are people who have made a profound contribution to the alleviation of poverty, working above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference to the lives of some of the world's poorest people.

For more information about the award visit:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/achievementsaward/1?intcmp=239