Fairtrade partnerships director on why “there can be no climate justice without trade justice”

As a globally-recognised standard, the importance of Fairtrade cannot be overstated. An amazing 93% of UK shoppers recognise the Fairtrade mark, with 83% trusting it when making their decision as to whether or not a product is ethical.

Essentially, Fairtrade makes sure the people who grow, harvest and pack our food are paid fairly, treated well and have a safe place to work.

Taking place from 27 February to 12 March, Fairtrade Fortnight is annual event is designed to highlight the importance of Fairtrade and shine a light on the communities that grow some of our favourite produce in the UK, such as bananas, chocolate and coffee beans.

This year, the Fairtrade Foundation is also highlighting the extra challenges brought about by climate change, as well as the effects of the global pandemic over the two-week period.

With the ongoing effects of climate change, like the grocery sector has seen with recent fruit and vegetable shortages, certain produce is starting to get more difficult to find as retailers begin to ration the number each customer can take.

“For farmers in global supply chains, climate change isn’t coming down the pipeline, it’s happening right now,” the Fairtrade Foundation partnerships director Kerrina Thorogood told Grocery Gazette.

“These people are also the ones who have done the least to cause it, and yet they are being disproportionately affected by climate impacts. And yet, the vast majority of them are simply unable to afford to tackle this crisis, because the price they receive for their produce is far too low.”

This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight campaign is focusing on highlighting the threat that climate change poses to popular foods grown overseas, as well as the fact that by choosing Fairtrade products, shoppers are ultimately helping to give farmers and workers more control of their lives.

“Fair prices provide an immediate lifeline for farmers and workers struggling with low incomes and disadvantaged by global trade,” Thorogood said.

So, how do Fairtrade products positively alter the environment and living standards, how do the farming communities benefit from their sales success, and what lasting impacts will climate change have on the UK if things don’t improve?


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The importance of Fairtrade

The Fairtrade foundation helps farmers and workers “improve their living standards, invest in their own business and local community, and protect their shared environment,” says Thorogood.

The organisation achieves this by rallying a “global community of millions” – farmers and workers, supply chain partners, brands, retailers, shoppers, schools, government – to pay fair prices and “uphold fair production standards and practices.”

Crucially, Fairtrade products mean “higher incomes for farmers and workers across the world, offering them vital protection from price crashes, market volatility and climate extremes,” Thorogood adds.

“The current financial crisis has taken a heavy toll on smallholder farmers and workers, with the costs of fuel, fertiliser and basics such as bread becoming unaffordable. Without resilience, it’s very hard to deal with.”

A new report published in October 2022 by Fairtrade International confirmed that access to better prices, credit, and financial stability significantly increased the resilience of Fairtrade-certified organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic, enabling them to better withstand the global crisis and reduce its impact on their farmer members and workers.

The study examined the experiences of Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade coffee, banana and flower producers in Indonesia, Peru, and Kenya. It found that households belonging to Fairtrade-certified producer organisations were 12% less likely to report ‘a high or very high impact’ from Covid-19, compared to non-Fairtrade households.

Share of the profits: the Fairtrade Premium

The Fairtrade Premium – an extra small sum of money paid on top of the selling price – means farmers and workers can make long-term investment in their communities, businesses and environment to do environmental and social good. In 2021, farmers and workers earned £163 million in Fairtrade Premium.

This means prices cover the average costs of producing crops sustainably – a vital safety net when market prices drop.

“The Fairtrade Premium is an extra sum of money paid on top of the selling price to invest in business or community projects of their choice,” adds Thorogood.

Fairtrade also means decent working conditions and a ban on discrimination, forced labour and child labour, as well as access to advance credit ahead of harvest time and being able to plan more for the future with more security and stronger relationships with buyers.

“Farmers use it to fund improvements to vital services such as education, healthcare, training for staff, and environmental projects such as reforestation,” she adds.

Some 1,930 small farmer and worker organisations across 70 countries benefit from Fairtrade Premium. That’s over 1.9 million farmers and workers managing 3 million hectares of farmland – an area larger than Wales.

“Conventional trade exposes producers to huge risks because of price volatility in commodity markets,” says Thorogood.

“That, together with the impact of climate change on harvests, is pushing millions of farmers and workers overseas further into poverty and debt.”

Impact on the UK

Many shopping basket staples that we take for granted – such as cocoa, coffee and bananas – are facing challenges caused by climate crisis.

For more than 450 million people worldwide, bananas and plantains are vital staple crops, particularly in lower-income nations.

Dramatic weather patterns spurred by climate change is expected to deliver severe blows to agricultural production in key regions around the world. For example, banana producers in the Caribbean and in Central America experience less rainfall and more extreme temperatures, while those in Southeast Asia and Oceania will see an increased risk of tropical cyclones.

“Our ‘Endangered Aisle’ campaign warns that if farmers and workers don’t receive a fair price to cover their costs at this critical time, they risk not being able to grow food in the future – food that we enjoy week in week out, in the UK,” Thorogood says.

She continued, saying: “I understand that UK shoppers are under financial pressure too, and that people are thinking first and foremost about how to feed themselves and their families, which is getting harder in this cost-of-living crisis.

“There are so many things we have to think about – not least price – but we cannot leave smallholder farmers and agricultural workers behind.

“Fairtrade believes that if we don’t consider the producers behind our best loved products, then all our costs will go up in the long term, and we might have to get used to having fewer bananas, chocolate bars and coffee on our supermarket shelves.”

Thorogood concluded by saying that unless we pay fair prices now to support producers to adapt to the climate crisis, “our favourite foods will become more endangered in future.

“Choosing Fairtrade is a simple action we can all take to play our part in protecting the future of our food, and our shared environment.”

Fairtrade environmental standards

Environmental protection is ingrained in all of Fairtrade’s standards, with producer organisations signing up to these rigorous standards, which are “specifically designed to protect the natural and human environment against exploitation”.

They include criteria on improving soil and water quality, managing pests, avoiding using harmful chemicals, reducing emissions and protecting biodiversity, and aim to support producers to progressively measure and reduce their carbon emissions.

“Fairtrade makes training available to producers so that they can learn how to grow in harmony with the local environment, avoid creating monocultures and use the latest agricultural methods, such as intercropping and shade-grown coffee to adapt to changing conditions,” Throrgood concludes.

“When partners and consumers choose Fairtrade, farmers and workers on the front line of the climate crisis have a fighting chance of caring for themselves, their families and our shared planet.

“We believe there can be no climate justice without trade justice.”

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