Fairtrade Africa mainly works with agricultural supply chains. Our leverage is greatest in the supply chains of coffee, cocoa, bananas, flowers and wine. The salient human rights issues, which our efforts to mitigate, prevent, cease and remediate chiefly focus on, include:

• living wages and living incomes
• child labour, forced labour and gender-based violence
• discrimination based on gender, ethnic origin or other status
• freedom of association and unionization
• conditions of work
• environmental rights

Fairtrade Africa's tools for continuous development

The UNGPs call for collaboration and continuous development to mitigate human rights problems related to business. These are fundamental building blocks of the Fairtrade system.

• Price and Premium: Buyers pay the Fairtrade Premium and the Fairtrade Minimum Price, ensuring they co-invest in human rights and environmental work at farms and local communities.
• Standards: Designed to deepen the respect for human rights and the environment among producers and other supply chain actors. They are revised regularly, through inclusive processes, to raise their effectiveness.
• Auditing: Fairtrade’s independent auditing partner, FLOCERT, does regular on-the-ground visits to review farms’ social and environmental conditions.
• Training and Support: Fairtrade Africa offers farmers and workers training and advice on their rights and agricultural practices. Our regional staff can also assist farmers with corrective action plans and new product development.
• Advocacy: The Fairtrade network advocates at the global, regional and national levels for fairer laws and business practices, putting pressure on states and businesses to fulfill their human rights and environmental duties.

These activities are funded through contributions from companies that use Fairtrade standards and auditing as well as public funding for specific development projects.