From October 7th to 9th, 2025, Fairtrade International successfully convened the ‘EC FFPA Outcome Harvesting Workshop’ in Nairobi, Kenya — an inspiring three-day learning and reflection event co-funded by the European Union. The workshop represented a significant milestone in the European Commission Financial Framework Partnership agreement programme’s (ECFFPA) trajectory, uniting representatives from Fairtrade International and its three Producer Networks — Fairtrade NAPP, Fairtrade Africa, and Fairtrade Latin America and the Caribbean (CLAC) from ten implementing countries across multiple regions.

Designed to capture transformative outcomes and cross-regional learning, the workshop fostered collaboration, strategic reflection, and shared accountability among all partners. Representing Fairtrade NAPP were Bindu S, Chief Executive Officer; Natasha Erika Jane H. Siaron, Advocacy Manager; Sarah Anum, Program Manager (Gender and Youth); Gideon Balasingam, MEL & ICT Manager; Prakash S, Manager, Fundraising and Partnerships; and Kavita Ramesh- Board Affairs and Governance. Their active participation reinforced NAPP’s commitment to advancing producer-centered impact, strengthening governance, and deepening learning across the global Fairtrade movement.

Capturing Real Change Beyond Indicators

The workshop’s broader objective was to identify and describe actual changes achieved throughout the project implementation period, rather than solely measuring progress against predefined indicators. The analysis drew from evidence synthesized across the 2024 Annual Report and 2025 bi-annual reports (Q1–Q2) submitted by all implementing partners.

A structured five-step document analysis process guided this exercise:

1. Multi-Source Document Review
2. Comprehensive Outcome Integration
3. Enhanced Attribution Analysis
4. Cross-Report Evidence Validation
5. Workshop-Oriented Outcome Development

Framing the Workshop: Workstream-Level Outcomes

The workshop focused on the following workstream-level Outcomes 

• W1: Advocacy Workstream - The Fairtrade network strengthens its capacity to exert greater influence on legislation and public policies and private sector practices at national, regional, EU, and global levels that impact producer organisations
• W2: Governance Workstream - The Fairtrade network's governance is more inclusive and representative of and accountable to smallholder producers and workers – particularly women and youth
• W3: Operations Workstream - The operational capacities of Fairtrade member organisations are strengthened to meet the priorities of producers and workers – particularly women and youth
• W4: Impact & Learning Workstream - The Fairtrade network's work is informed by cross regional evidence and learning – including through digital capacities

Day 1: Introduction and Outcome Harvesting Process

The workshop opened with welcome remarks from Isaac Tongola, Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa, setting the tone for collaboration and reflection.

Facilitated by Jesse Hastings, Head of Impact Management, Fairtrade International and Guzal Matniyazova- ECFFPA- Project Manager, Fairtrade International,  the day focused on introducing the Outcome Harvesting (OH) methodology—its purpose, process, and application within the EC FFPA framework.

Through practical examples, including a case study from Fairtrade CLAC, participants learned to formulate outcome statements and distinguish them from activities, later refining their drafts through group work, peer review, and a collaborative “gallery walk” session

Day 2: Refinement, Analysis, and Planning

Day two focused on deepening the Outcome Harvesting process. The day began with a check-in and review of objectives, followed by group sessions where participants refined their outcome statements using feedback and analyzed them against key evaluation questions. The discussions also identified inputs for the substantiation process. By the end of the day, participants finalized their outcome statements and developed recommendations for the Steering Committee on outcome validation, result utilization, and future application of the OH methodology.

Day 3: Field Visit to New Gikaru Farmers’ Co-operative Society and Ichamara Coffee Factory

The final day of the workshop featured an insightful field visit to the New Gikaru Producer Organisation and Ichamara Coffee Factory in Nyeri, Kenya, offering participants a valuable opportunity to translate the workshop’s theoretical learnings into practical, real-world application. During the visit, the Fairtrade Africa team showcased the FTA Geo App, an innovative digital solution developed under the EC FFPA funding, designed to assist coffee farmers and cooperatives in aligning with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Launched in June 2025, the Geo App is already being utilized by producer organizations across Eastern and Central Africa. The tool functions seamlessly both online and offline, enabling cooperatives to accurately map individual farms, validate collected data, trace coffee from farm to cooperative, and maintain complete data ownership without dependence on third parties. Using intuitive GPS-based technology, a field officer or lead farmer walks the perimeter of a farm with a smartphone, allowing the app to automatically record geo-coordinates and generate precise digital maps in real time. Once verified, the data can be uploaded to the system for integration and traceability.

This hands-on engagement served as a high-level cross-learning experience, especially as all Producer Networks are actively implementing EUDR-related initiatives. The exchange of insights, challenges, and innovative digital approaches proved to be an eye-opening experience, reinforcing the shared commitment to sustainable and transparent supply chains across the Fairtrade system.

Reflections and Way Forward

The Workshop marked a significant step in building a shared evidence base for learning and adaptive management within the Fairtrade system. By integrating insights from diverse regions and workstreams, the process strengthened collective understanding of how the EC FFPA project is driving transformation at multiple levels — from governance and advocacy to technology and field impact.