Producer representatives from Pakistan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan came together in person and online for Fairtrade NAPP’s Central Asia Regional Conference and Product Network Meeting co-funded by the European Union—putting producer decision-making, leadership and market priorities at the centre of the two-day meeting.

Day 1

Opening the Conference, Malik M Jamil, Fairtrade NAPP Board member and Central Asia Regional Coordinator, confirmed its alignment with the Fairtrade NAPP Constitution and Regional Conference Charter. Board Chair Pravakar Meher highlighted 2025 progress, Fairtrade Premium investments and South-to-South strategies, and presented the Fairtrade NAPP Strategy 2026–2028, focused on producer organisations, market expansion, innovation and technology, and inclusion and social justice.

Attendees:

• Producers: Fairtrade NAPP producers, farmers and workers of the Central Asia region, attending physically and online
• Fairtrade NAPP Task Force: Pravakar Meher (Fairtrade NAPP Chair), Raghavendra Shastry, Shailesh Patel, Rosemarie Sumalinog G and Malik M Jamil
• Executives:
  • Bindu Sukumarapillai (CEO),
  • Hagung Hendrawan (COO),
  • Sarah Anum (Manager, Gender and Youth, Asia and Pacific),
  • Gideon B (Manager, MEL and ICT),
  • Iresha S (Programme Manager, Sri Lanka and Climate focal point) and
  • Arm Arut Selvan (Country Programme Manager, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh)
• Gufronjon (SAROB),
• Kavita Ramesh, Sr. Manager (Board Affairs and Governance) and Permanent Secretary of the Regional Conference
• Interpreter: Fei (Chinese)

A Lifetime of Service to Producer Communities, Recognized

The region also presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Assad Bajwa of South Asian Sourcing Pvt. Ltd., Pakistan, recognising his long-standing contribution to producer representation and community development. Under his leadership, Fairtrade Premium-funded programmes reached approximately 1,000 farming families, while education initiatives reached 18,000+ children across 22 primary schools. The award was received on his behalf by Fairtrade NAPP officer, Sarah Anum (Manager, Gender and Youth, Asia and Pacific).

Four Product Networks, Four Sets of Producer-Led Priorities

Tea, sports balls, rice and cotton producers reviewed progress and set priorities for the Product Networks for the remainder of 2026:

• Tea: certification compliance, documentation and digitisation in China
• Rice: irrigation efficiency, post-harvest infrastructure and climate-resilient production
• Cotton: climate adaptation, green fertilisers and water-saving technologies
• Sports balls: stronger market visibility and organisational capacity

Training was already underway, including around 100 rice farmers, 31 Fairtrade Premium Committee members and tea, cotton and sports ball producer organisations across the region.

Governance Documents Producers Shaped and Approved

Producer members unanimously approved revisions to the Regional Conference Charter, Code of Conduct for Fairtrade NAPP Producers and Standards Complaint Mechanism, following the 2025 governance evaluation.

Members also reviewed General Assembly procedures, including representation, voting, elections, proxy voting and the role of the Central Nomination and Election Committee.

Session Built Around What Producers Asked For

The climate session facilitated by Iresha S was organized in direct response to needs producers raised at the Southeast Asia Regional Conference. It covered the droughts, floods and water scarcity affecting farming communities and Fairtrade NAPP's climate-smart agriculture work, leaving members clearer on early preparedness and climate risk management. 

Day 2

New regional leadership elected

The outgoing Regional Coordinator, Malik M Jamil, closed a three-year term by reporting back to members on producer training, climate resilience and women's and youth participation, and a producer satisfaction score of 94.7 percent in 2025.  Boimamat Uzakov of Tajikistan was elected Regional Coordinator with 63% of the vote, while Zakia Malik of Pakistan became Regional Deputy Coordinator with 70%. They take forward a clear set of priorities identified by producers.

Updates from Fairtrade NAPP CEO and COO

CEO Bindu Sukumarapillai shared key 2026 developments across Central Asia, China and Pakistan, covering programme implementation, producer organisation support and training, climate resilience, gender and youth, standards compliance, market access and communications. She also highlighted progress on strengthening producer resilience, organisational performance and participation in Fairtrade, alongside regional partnerships, donor-supported initiatives and emerging challenges and opportunities.

COO Hagung Hendrawan outlined operational priorities and progress in programme delivery, producer support and cross-country coordination, with a focus on strengthening operational effectiveness and collaboration. Together, the updates connected Fairtrade NAPP’s regional strategy with practical support available to producer organisations, including audit readiness, market linkages and organisational strengthening.

Unpacking Gender Roles, Bias and Equal Participation

A session by Sarah Anum, Manager for Gender and Youth, worked through gender roles, unconscious bias and gender-based violence, and set out Fairtrade NAPP's approaches to gender mainstreaming, including women's leadership and access to Fairtrade Premium funds. Several members asked for more like it.

Voices from the Conference

Members valued the cross-country exchange and learning and called for more frequent opportunities to connect. They also suggested that future Regional Conferences feature producer-led success stories, creating space to share practical experiences and inspire other producer organisations.

The Road to the General Assembly

The conference marked the third of four Regional Conferences under Fairtrade NAPP’s new governance structure, paving the way for the Fairtrade NAPP General Assembly. Regional Board nominations will proceed to the Central Nomination and Election Committee.

The newly elected leaders will take forward key producer priorities: tea certification compliance, rice irrigation and post-harvest infrastructure, cotton climate adaptation, and greater sports ball market visibility, alongside the four Product Network plans.