Fairtrade International

Today, at the International Fairtrade Textiles Forum in Paris, we’re excited to release a new study on the sustainability advantages of Fairtrade and organic cotton from India. India is the second largest producer of cotton in the world, but it’s the largest Fairtrade cotton producer, with 27,000 farmers producing around 32,000 tonnes of Fairtrade cotton per year. From research with 850 farmers across six Indian states, here are some key findings: 🔹 45% lower greenhouse gas emissions from Fairtrade organic cotton vs. non-Fairtrade cotton grown with either organic or conventional methods. 🔹  96% of Fairtrade organic farmers and those converting to organic avoid chemical pesticide use altogether, as compared with 60% of non-Fairtrade conventional farmers. 🔹 20% more cotton per drop: Fairtrade organic farmers are using water more efficiently and 14% less overall. 🔹 Higher yields & prices: Fairtrade organic farmers are seeing 13% higher yields and earning 4.8% more than non-certified counterparts. 🔹 Only 5% of Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers use synthetic nitrogenous fertilisers, compared to more than 9/10 conventional farmers. These results highlight the power of Fairtrade to create greener, more sustainable fashion while boosting the livelihoods of farmers. 🌱👚 Curious to know more? Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/evP4zTkS #Sustainability #Fairtrade #OrganicCotton #futureisfair

🌍🍌 We were thrilled to attend the 16th edition of Fruit Attraction in Madrid last week, where banana and pineapple Fairtrade producers Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica engaged in meaningful discussions with potential commercial partners. These conversations highlighted the diverse opportunities in sustainable agriculture and fair trade. During the event, we also presented the Fairtrade Banana Bonus, showcasing how we are working towards a living wage solution for banana workers and helping to close the living wage gap. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/er5S-Fxi Additionally, we contributed to impactful panel discussions on key issues: 1️⃣  Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD): Producers called on supply chain actors to share the responsibility and costs of complying with the CSDDD, noting that Fairtrade producers are already investing in due diligence through our standards. Supply chain actors should not wait until 2027 to support resources for producers, so they do not bear the burden of the regulation compliance alone. 2️⃣  Living Wages and Incomes: We emphasised the importance of social dialogue and responsible purchasing practices, like fairer prices, in achieving living wages. Fairtrade has taken substantial steps towards closing the living wage gap for banana workers in the recent years. Our standards require that banana workers earning below the Living Wage Benchmark are paid 70 percent of the Living Wage and receive 30 percent from the Fairtrade Premium as an additional cash payment. 3️⃣  Reducing Certification and Audit Costs through Multi-stakeholder Agreements: Producers raised concerns about the high costs and administrative burden of obtaining multiple certifications. They urgently request measures to reduce these challenges, including simplified standards, avoiding duplication, and mutual recognition of certifications.

🌍📣 Join us for an upcoming webinar to hear from the next generation of Fairtrade leaders Youth voices are shaping the future of Fairtrade, and we're excited to showcase their achievements and challenges in a dynamic panel discussion! Hear from young leaders across our Producer Networks and gain valuable insights into how they're driving change across the globe. 📅 When: 16 Oct 2024, 15:00–16:30 CEST 🎤 Opening address: Sandra Uwera Murasa, Global Fairtrade CEO Youth expert speakers: Mercy C., Youth Coordinator at Fairtrade Africa; Sarah Anum, Program Manager Youth & Gender at Fairtrade Network of Asia & Pacific Producers ( NAPP); Carmen Rosa Mendivil Calderón, Youth & Gender Specialist for South America at CLAC; Felix Tetteh (Ghana); Muhammed Muiz (Pakistan); and Ana Laura Sayago (Argentina). Closing remarks: Chrispinus Oluoch, Programme Director at Fairtrade Africa

Do you want to strengthen the sustainability of your textile supply chain and comply with new regulations in this area? Take part in the International Fairtrade Textile Forum and meet experts, producers and committed companies! Our program covers: ▪️ Round table on cotton production and its environmental challenges ▪️ Success stories of companies engaged in fair trade ▪️ Focus on Fairtrade innovations ▪️ An opportunity to meet with producers from Asia and Africa, Fairtrade representatives and a Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) expert ▪️ Roundtable on social and traceability challenges in textile supply chains 📆 17 October, 2024 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 📍 Paris 🎤 Event in English, French translation available 📧 To register please email partnershipentreprise@maxhavelaarfrance.org This event is part of the SWITCH-Asia Official program, funded by the European Union. View the full program here: https://lnkd.in/eFDz4SNE

Love bananas? Here is some food for thought. Banana producers are in a bind. Why? The banana industry is labour-intensive and demanding. Climate change and plant diseases threaten yields, while large multinationals wield considerable influence in a sector that requires significant infrastructure to harvest and transport the quick-ripening fruits. Retailers often offer deep discounts on bananas, sometimes selling below cost to attract customers. And there is no denying there is currently a living wage gap. Low wages are deeply-rooted systemic issue, highly dependent on context and - in the long term - on collective action. One way we are working towards a living wage solution for banana workers and helping to close the living wage gap is through the Fairtrade Banana Bonus. Workers receive this money from an additional voluntary payment a commercial partner pay per box of bananas sold if they choose to pay the recommended living wage. Let’s make living wages a reality 👉 https://lnkd.in/efwr-VTR And if you are attending Fruit Attraction, 8-10 October, come chat to us to find out more! Pavilion 4, Stand 4C23 #futureisfair #sustainablebananas #bananas

Next week, Sophie Aujean, Fairtrade International’s Director of Global Advocacy, will be joining leaders across the coffee industry, to speak at the @WorldCoffeeAlliance’s World Coffee Innovation Summit London 2024, 16-17 October. 🍵🌱 We know that coffee farmers are undergoing extreme challenges on multiple fronts – climate change, skyrocketing production costs, low farmer incomes, an ageing farmer population, and – however well intentioned – pressure from new legislation is adding significant barriers to smallholder farmers being able to sell their product in these important markets, putting their livelihoods at risk. Sophie will be taking part in a roundtable event at the summit to explore the connected themes of food systems, agriculture, the impact of requirements on reporting and disclosure, their impacts on coffee producers and how to support their transition to sustainable agriculture practices. The summit will highlight the vital role of cross-industry partnerships and cover topics including the latest EU Deforestation Regulation update, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, regenerative agriculture, biodiversity and carbon credits, social impact of transparency and traceability solutions and digitalising and decarbonising global trade. We’d love to connect and get engage with you! https://lnkd.in/ezprnK9H

We take note of the European Commission’s proposal to provide companies with an additional year to meet the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. While we initially welcomed that a key piece of legislation of the European Green Deal be implemented on time, we recognised and witnessed the critical challenges and market access risks that small-scale farmer organisations were facing to meet the 30 December 2024 deadline. Fairtrade does not want the EUDR to be diluted in any way. We believe in the objectives of the regulation to tackle deforestation and forest degradation by prohibiting products linked to deforestation on the EU market, however we continue to call for shared responsibility across supply chains when it comes to meeting these goals. That is why we will continue to drive productive and technical capacity building efforts within our supply chains so that our farmers and cooperatives are ready and able to provide the compliance requirements of our trade partners in the EU markets. We further call for the European Union (EU) to continuously engage and consult farmers and producers so that they are not excluded from the EU market due to a lack of resources. More: https://lnkd.in/eFTGtZmA #deforestation #EUDR #Fairtrade

Every year, Fairtrade producers compete to see who has the most delicious speciality coffee of the highest quality in our Golden Cup competition held in 10 different countries. Miguel Ángel Rivera, part of the COAQUIL co-operative in Honduras, was awarded the top prize for the best blended coffee lot earlier this year. Thanks to his sustainable practices, Miguel has already planted 50,000 trees in his forest nursey 🌱 “The forest nursery where 50,000 plants have been planted annually for the past three years, has helped alleviate some of the problems associated with climate change including the increased humidity that cause disease like rust fungus,” he said. “The nursery has created a virtuous cycle of improved productivity. Improving the filtered shade and biodiversity within the coffee plot, supports healthier soils, leading to more productive trees – which supports farmers to make investments in the production and processing systems required for delicious, high quality coffees.” Miguel also runs the Chapolas school, a Saturday school for children who want to learn all aspects of coffee, from tasting and quality control to the selection of seeds, management of nurseries, processing, roasting and barista skills. Read his story here: https://lnkd.in/e4JVGrHM Photo by Sean Hawkey

Because let’s face it - great coffee doesn’t just happen. It’s a labour of love and award-winning Fairtrade Coffee Producer, Adelmo Paz Alvarado, from Cafico in Honduras, knows this all too well. We shone the spotlight on three of our 2024 Golden Cup winners, including Adelmo, to understand what quality means to them. As one of the 2024 Golden Cup winners in Honduras, Adelmo represents the pinnacle of specialty coffee production – the highest grade of coffee you can get. ☕️ But what sets him and other Fairtrade producers apart is their dedication to quality and sustainability at every step. From handpicking the perfect seed to using eco-friendly techniques like agroforestry (think shade-giving trees, healthier soil, and more biodiversity 🌳), each coffee plant is nurtured with care and respect for the environment. 🌱 The Golden Cup is an annual competition, which sees Fairtrade producers compete for the most delicious speciality coffee of the highest quality. By choosing Fairtrade coffee, you’re supporting more than just a great cup of coffee. You're helping farmers build sustainable futures, helping farmers like Adelmo protect the planet, and ensure everyone along the supply chain gets a fair deal. 🌍✨ Sip with purpose today! #coffee #futureisfair #ICD2024 #sustainablefarming #choosefairtrade Video footage by Sean Hawkey. Video produced by Der Tisch - Communications & Design Studio for Fairtrade International.

Happy International Coffee Day to all coffee lovers out there! What’s the secret behind quality coffee that not only taste good, but does good? Fairtrade coffee is produced with great skill, care and attention by award-winning farmers who pour their hearts into every bean. Every sip you take is the result of their hard work and commitment to delivering top-quality, flavour-packed coffee that also supports people and the planet. We shone the spotlight on three of our 2024 Golden Cup winners to hear what each of them have to say about how they deliver quality in every cup. For professional coffee cupper, Mario Ernesto Paz, and Golden Cup winner from Cafico in Honduras, crafting the ideal blend is a true art form - dedication, passion, and a commitment to quality go into every bean, just like an artist creating a masterpiece. 🎨 What exactly is the Golden Cup? It’s Fairtrade’s annual competition, where coffee producers from 10 countries go head-to-head, showcasing the best specialty coffees – the highest quality of coffee – across aroma, flavour, and quality. Choose Fairtrade and support a future where every cup you drink helps build stronger, more sustainable communities. 🌱☕️ #futureisfair #ICD2024 #coffee #choosefairtrade Video footage by Sean Hawkey. Video produced by Der Tisch - Communications & Design Studio for Fairtrade International.