FairTrade International

Fairtrade exists to change the way “conventional” trade works. Founded in 1997, Fairtrade has grown and evolved – but throughout our history, we’ve held true to our mission of promoting better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. With producer organizations holding 50 percent legal ownership in our system, farmers and workers are truly empowered with more control over their lives and our collective investments in their future. Today more than 1,800 producer organizations, representing 1.9 million farmers and workers, are the heart and foundation of the Fairtrade system.

Fairtrade International is structured as a multi-stakeholder, NGO, comprised of:

- Three Producer Networks [Africa and the Middle East; Asia-Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean] representing more than 840,000 coffee farmers organized in 656 cooperative organizations and cultivating more than a million hectares; and

- 21 National Fairtrade Organizations, working to open markets for more than 30,000 distinct products carrying the registered FAIRTRADE trademark around the world. As a leader in the global movement to make trade fair, Fairtrade supports and challenges businesses and governments to seek continual improvements in truly sustainable livelihoods, and connects farmers and workers with the people who buy their products.

Statement of support

Fairtrade’s vision is a world in which all producers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods, fulfill their potential and self-determine their own future. On behalf of more than 850,000 small-scale coffee farmers and their cooperative organizations, and of the 23 National Fairtrade Organizations affiliated under the Fairtrade umbrella -- we applaud and fully support the goals of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge. We are excited to join forces with coffee industry allies and build common pathways towards truly integrated ecological and economical sustainability, while supporting farmer-led innovation that’s both grounded in their local context and proven as viable, agroecological practices for improved climate resiliency.

Actor
Multi-stakeholder Initiative or Association
Partner Since 2022

Our Commitments

In collaboration with our affiliated producer networks, national offices and industry allies, we will support the transition of at least 250,000 ha of small-scale, coffee farmer plots, from their “current status” to “increasingly functional agroforestry systems” by 2030 in at least 10 coffee-producing countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Building knowledge and practical pathways, we’ll meet farmers where they are and support their sustainability transitions from: conventional methods to more environmentally friendly practices; from passive-organic plots to increasingly functional agroforestry systems; and from regenerative, agroforestry plots to balanced and highly productive ecosystems that simultaneously serve as efficient and stable carbon sinks.

Expected outcomes include:

  • Measurably improved productivity, while enhancing the ecological functionality and potential carbon capture;
  • Empowered and motivated farmers, who see positive impact in the short term; and, finally,
  • Improved incomes due to better productivity, lower costs of production and potential carbon in-setting or off-setting premiums and/or credits.

In partnership with: We will be working in collaboration with Fairtrade producer networks and country-specific marketing offices, coffee industry commercial allies, and technical support from organizations such as: International Biochar Initiative, CIFOR-ICRAF, Global Soil Partnership, Terraformation, Cool Farm Alliance and others.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Zero Hunger
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Life on Land
  • Partnerships for the Goals
Target date 2030
Countries targeted Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam