How we are governed
The international Fairtrade system is governed by the General Assembly and the Board of Directors.
Members of the international Fairtrade system meet once a year at the General Assembly. This assembly combines 50 percent producer representation with 50 percent national Fairtrade organisation representation, and decides on membership issues, approves the annual accounts, and ratifies new Board members.
There are also annual assemblies for each national Fairtrade organisation and the producer networks.
The Board of the international Fairtrade system (shown below) is elected by the General Assembly and includes:
- four board members nominated by the three producer networks
- four board members nominated by the national Fairtrade organisations
- three independent board members
Hend M.H. Kassab, Interim Chair (Producer Network nominated - Fairtrade Africa)
Hend M.H Kassab is the Quality & Corporate Affairs Director at DALTEX Corporation, an Egyptian trade, export, and cultivation/production company. She is currently the Vice Chair of Fairtrade Africa Board of Directors, she is also Chair of the Fairtrade Africa Board Marketing Steering Committee and the Board Human Resources Committee. She is a passionate defender of fair trade practices advocating for the rights of farmers and workers in Africa and for improving social and gender equality. She brings a fresh perspective, collaborative spirit, and a relentless dedication to Fairtrade's mission and is excited about working alongside fellow Board members who share her passion for social justice and ethical business practices.
Jeremiah Mweene, Treasurer (Producer Network nominated - Fairtrade Africa)
Jeremiah Mweene is a professional banker at Absa Bank Zambia where he has proven his abilities in managing people and systems. He is a member of Fairtrade Africa Board of Directors, where his leadership and strategic direction have driven achievement and helped manage change and achieve organisational goals. He is also on the Board of the Kaleya Smallholders Farmers Association Mazabuka Zambia where he serves as Chair of the Premium Committee. As a passionate sugar cane producer, Mweene will bring a wealth of hands-on experience combined with deep understanding of the economy to the Fairtrade International Board.
Frank Harnischfeger (Independent)
Frank Harnischfeger is currently the Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer of the Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification. He oversees the organisation’s operations in 90 countries, the global Policy Development, Markets & Communications, Technology & Innovation as well as the management functions Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Information Technology. Frank is also a member of the Board of the ISEAL Alliance and the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee (IOAC) of the International Labor Organisation in Geneva. Prior to his current roles, Frank was a Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC where he was accountable for the operations, technology and infrastructure of the institution with its more than 100 locations globally. In this context he joined the United Nations’ High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) for nearly a decade. Before that he held a variety of senior positions in the private sector in supply chain, finance, technology and consulting.
Marike Runneboom de Peña (Producer Network nominated - Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers)
Marike Runneboom de Peña is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers where she has worked to build strong networks at the regional, country, and product and worker level. She has seen and suffered the devastating impact of low prices, unfair trading practices, climate change, and the lack of basic needs and rights but also witnessed the strength and capacity of farmers to address these challenges. She has more than 35 years of experience working with small producers in the Dominican Republic and brings a wealth of experience to the Board.
Rhea Beltrami (National Fairtrade Organisation nominated - Fairtrade Max Havelaar Switzerland)
Rhea Beltrami is Head of Agriculture of the State of Zurich. Prior to that she was Head of Sustainable Procurement at Coop, one of Switzerland’s leading retailers. She also previously worked as Supply Chain Director and Member of the Executive Team at McDonald’s Switzerland, and was a Member of the Executive Board of the Swiss Farmers’ Union. Rhea Beltrami brings extensive management and leadership experience in trade, retail, agricultural production processing, logistics and public administration. She has very broad expertise in supply chain management with international scope and a vast knowledge of sustainability strategies in the fast moving and changing markets of consumer goods. Due to her time working in the public sector, she is also accustomed to dealing with challenging political topics and advocacy work. Rhea Beltrami sits on Fairtrade International’s NAPP Task Force Committee, and is also a member of the Max Havelaar Switzerland Board.
Christelle Owona (National Fairtrade Organisation nominated, Max Havelaar France)
Christelle Owona is a Project Manager at the Actuel Compagnie Fruitiere Foundation with extensive experience in sustainability, human rights due diligence, gender issues, ethical trade, and supply chain management. She currently serves on the boards of Fairtrade International and Max Havelaar France and is a member of the Advisory Body of the FAO's World Banana Forum, where she previously co-chaired the Steering Committee. She is excited to be a part of the Fairtrade Board and address the key challenges and opportunities that the future holds.
Rita de Sousa Coutinho (Independent)
De Sousa Coutinho, Independent Board Member, (Portugal), who was elected to a three-year term, currently serves as a board member with Banco CCT, Portugal, and since 2021 is a member of the International Advisory Board at the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. During her career, she has held various senior positions with international retailer Jeronimo Martins (Portugal) and with Groupe Casino in Brazil. She was founder and CEO of Ocean Participacoes/Benjamin’s Bakeries in Brazil before moving on to advise Walmart’s Sam’s Club in China on accelerating growth. Her deep knowledge of food markets and large international retail players, her skills acquired working in complex and competitive international markets, as well as her art of asking probing questions will be an excellent addition to the Board.
Pravakar Meher (Producer Network nominated - Fairtrade Network of Asia and Pacific Producers)
Pravakar Meher has made it his life’s work to help the cotton industry and its farmer. He comes from a family of cotton workers and has brought a new energy and passion to the business. His engineering experience not only helped his family’s operations but has brought significant change to India’s Orissa region. He has encouraged farmers to go for native varieties of cotton and adopt organic practices that lead to a better quality of cotton fibre. This move has helped farmers earn better returns on their produce. He continues to work hard to assist farmers to become part of the sustainable supply chain so that everyone benefits.
Fairtrade International constitution
The most recent updates to the Fairtrade International Constitution were approved in June 2023.
DE | Satzung des Vereins (German version is the original and legally binding document)
EN | Constitution of the Association (English translation for convenience)