a better future. They have built healthier, stronger and more resilient communities, with improved choice and better life chances through access to healthcare and education. They have responded to the climate crisis by investing in sustainable eco-friendly farming practices. They have raised up their farms and their families in ways unimaginable before. This is a seismic shift in the way trade works. And it has been achieved thanks to unstinting public support. People across the UK have shown
companies that they want their products to be free of exploitation, and they want them to be part of the solution. Fairtrade is backed by many thousands of grassroots campaigners in towns, villages, schools, universities and communities all over the UK. And leading companies have responded with real commitment – there are now almost 5,000 Fairtrade products available to buy in the UK, and all major retailers and many brands are actively engaged. This is an incredible achievement.
Given the increasing threats from climate change, global conflicts, and pandemics, how has Fairtrade adapted its strategies to support vulnerable farmers and producers? Working with farmers and workers, businesses and consumers, Fairtrade has taken enormous strides in supporting millions of Fairtrade producers, including cocoa farmers, to secure a better deal. But the world feels more insecure than it did when we were set up in the 1990s. The impacts of climate change, global conflict and the pandemic have increased the threats to producers’ livelihoods and exposed the fragility of our shared food system. We are seeing more frequently how shocks in one part of the world can cause empty shelves and food price inflation at home. Poverty and inequality persist in agricultural communities, exacerbated by the climate crisis and the prevalence of unfair prices. Extreme poverty remains concentrated in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, fragile and conflict-affected areas, and rural areas. There is an urgent need for ongoing change, both for the sake of producers’
livelihoods and for the availability and affordability of our food. Fairtrade Minimum Price has always
worked to protect farmers when market prices are low as market volatility is exacerbated by global challenges. The Fairtrade Premium gives cooperatives autonomy to address challenges most relevant to them. But acute crises like Covid have also meant we’ve had to adapt. For example, in 2022 we worked alongside other partners to secure more than €15M in COVID-19 relief and recovery funding which enabled Fairtrade cooperatives to keep their communities safe and start working towards long term economic recovery. We also continually review our Fairtrade standards to ensure they respond to the ever-changing challenges farmers are facing. In 2022, we updated our Cocoa Standards to reflect changes in legislation and reinforce our focus on human rights, deforestation and living incomes. Whenever we update standards at Fairtrade, we go through a thorough process of consultation,
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