Following the successful completion of the first two HREDD workshops held this year, the final workshop under Phase II marked a decisive milestone in capacity building for 24 producers representing 11 Fairtrade small scale farmers organisations working across herbs, spices, coconuts, and diversified organic farming sectors. These training forms a vital component of the larger project “Enabling Joint HREDD Implementation in Supply Chains of Fair Trade Companies and Producer Groups” — a joint initiative of Fairtrade Deutschland e.V. (Fairtrade Germany) and Forum Fairer Handel e.V. (FFH), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale, (GIZ), Gmbh

The Living Income In-Person Workshop 2025 – Pathways for Income Improvement: Unlocking Opportunities for Smallholders in Asia, organised by GIZ and the ISEAL Alliance, stood out as one of the region’s most influential convenings dedicated to shifting the trajectory of smallholder livelihoods. For Fairtrade NAPP, this moment represented a strategic inflection point: an opportunity to elevate farmer voices, reinforce regional collaboration, and strengthen living-income advocacy across supply chains that are vital to Asia’s economic future.

Fairtrade NAPP recently conducted a strategic regional training on Climate Change and Gender Equality at Khujand, Tajikistan, in collaboration with Sarob, its regional partner, bringing together 20 representatives from leading Fairtrade small-scale farmers’ organizations across Central Asia with a focus on strengthening the capabilities of producers working in dried fruit and cotton value chains—two vital export commodities in the region. The training advanced NAPP’s service objective of integrating circular agro-economic models into commercial farming while directly contributing to key environmental outcome indicators related to climate adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable supply chains.

Agriculture today is evolving faster than ever—shaped by climate uncertainty, technological breakthroughs, and shifting global markets. Recognizing this critical moment, Fairtrade NAPP, with co-funding from ECFFPA, brought together 33 young leaders from six Indian states for a transformative Next Gen Farming & Skills Training Program in Nagpur. Over two powerful days, these young farmers, students, and entrepreneurs stepped into the future of agriculture, discovering how innovation, sustainability, and enterprise can reshape their communities—and their own careers.

This year, Fairtrade NAPP supported seven small-scale farmers’ organizations from China to participate in this powerful platform. Their engagement allowed them to gain first-hand insights into global market shifts, connect with high-potential buyers, explore sustainability benchmarks, and elevate the visibility of China’s Fairtrade-certified producers within a market increasingly defined by traceability, ethical consumption, and innovation.

Across India’s agricultural landscape, women play indispensable roles—from cultivation to post-harvest operations—yet their contributions often remain undervalued, unpaid, or invisible. Gender gaps in decision-making, leadership, livelihood access, and market participation continue to affect not just individual women, but the long-term resilience of farmer communities and supply chains. Recognizing that gender equality is not just a moral imperative but a driver of productivity, climate resilience, and sustainable development, a Gender Strategy Implementation Workshop was organised by Fairtrade NAPP for 17 participants from multiple Farmers’ Organisations

For Hired Labour organizations (HLO), maintaining certification excellence demands more than compliance—it requires a deep understanding of standards, consistent documentation, and leadership capable of responding to emerging challenges. Yet frequent staff rotation and the arrival of new officers underscore the sector’s need for continuous, foundational training. To support them, Fairtrade NAPP gathered 24 officers—14 men and 10 women—from 05 tea and 01 flower plantations, covering both multi-estate and single-estate operations: Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, Hatton Plantations PLC, Horana Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Tropiflora (Pvt) Ltd, Kaley Natural Farms Pvt Ltd, for its 14th Annual Residential Awareness and Knowledge Creation Workshop—a residential learning experience held in Moratuwa.

Gender equality continues to be a global challenge, with no country achieving full parity as of 2024 despite decades of progress. While nations such as Finland, Iceland, and Norway lead in advancing gender equity, countries like Sri Lanka still face significant gaps in political representation, economic participation, leadership, and access to resources. Responding to these challenges and opportunities, Fairtrade NAPP Sri Lanka convened a strategic two-day national workshop on “Starting Women-Led Economic Empowerment Projects and Implementing the Gender Strategy,” under the European Commission Financial Framework Partnership agreement programme, with the co-funding support of the European Union

Following the successful completion of the HREDD Risk Assessment: Prevention, Mitigation and Remediation Measures training for 11 Fairtrade farmers’ organizations in Sri Lanka and 10 leading coffee cooperatives in Indonesia, Fairtrade NAPP extended its regional strengthening efforts to India—bringing the same structured, hands-on learning model to the country’s largest tea-producing regions. This approach ensures consistency, shared learning, and harmonised progress across Fairtrade supply chains that feed into the EU market.

Climate change, depleting soils, and shrinking biodiversity are reshaping the daily realities of cotton farmers. Navigating these challenges requires more than traditional experience; it calls for new solutions, updated knowledge on sustainable practices, responsible resource management, and diversified livelihood strategies. To support this transition, Fairtrade NAPP organized a comprehensive Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training for 27 farmers and 4 ICS staff of Virutcham Ecofarming Farmers Association (Alwar Organic Company), Fairtrade-certified cotton producer organizations in Dharmapuri and Attur, Tamil Nadu. The program aimed to strengthen farmers’ technical capacity, enhance environmental stewardship, and introduce fruit tree cultivation as an effective strategy for improved nutrition, resilience, and income diversification.

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the power to communicate with clarity and confidence opens doors—doors to opportunity, leadership, and meaningful participation. Yet for many young farmers and workers in rural agricultural communities, limited exposure to spoken English and professional communication becomes a silent barrier, restricting their ability to express ideas, influence decisions, or engage in global Fairtrade dialogues. To bridge this gap, Fairtrade Network of Asia & Pacific Producers (NAPP), with co-funding support from the European Union under European Commission Financial Framework Partnership agreement programme, partnered with The Institute of Languages and Skills (TILS), Rajasthan, to deliver an intensive 3-month Virtual Capacity Building Course on Communication and Presentation Skills. Designed under the Fairtrade Youth Knowledge Hub (YKH), the initiative set out to nurture confident young leaders who can represent their communities with pride—locally, nationally, and globally.

As part of the regional project “Enabling Compliance of Fairtrade Supply Chains with New EU Regulations,” project funded by German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)and Fairtrade Germany, Fairtrade NAPP continues to equip producer organizations across Indonesia with the skills and tools needed to meet evolving European sustainability requirements while safeguarding farmer livelihoods. Following the successful completion of the Phase II Traininh for ten coffee cooperatives in Central Aceh, Fairtrade NAPP conducted a three-day Phase II Training on Human Rights and Environmental Risk Management for four cooperatives producing coffee, herbs, herbal teas, and spices across East Java, Indonesia.

Across Thailand, thousands of small-scale farmers work tirelessly to cultivate rice, herbs, spices, and other organic products that nourish communities and supply ethical markets around the world. Yet behind every harvest lies a complex responsibility—ensuring that every step meets the rigorous standards of Fairtrade. Recognizing these challenges, Fairtrade NAPP launched a transformative, hands-on training program—designed not just to help producers meet compliance, but to thrive as leaders in ethical and sustainable production.

Fairtrade Standards form the foundation for safe, ethical, and environmentally responsible farming. They include a strict, regularly updated list of prohibited pesticides, ensuring farmers avoid substances that threaten human health or ecosystems. Beyond banning harmful chemicals, the Standards require farmers to practice safe storage, controlled use, proper handling, and responsible disposal of any permitted pesticides to safeguard natural habitats and protect water bodies from contamination. To support compliance with these requirements and promote safer, more sustainable vegetable farming, a ‘Training on Handling of Hazardous materials’ was organised for Maradi Ranganatha Agro Producer Company Ltd., a vegetable producer based in Tumkur district, Karnataka.

Producers across Thailand’s minor crop sectors—including sugar cane, herbs, spices, pineapple, coconut, and soybeans—face persistent soil-related challenges. Declining soil fertility, limited understanding of nutrient requirements, and a need to comply with Fairtrade GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) standards have made soil management a critical area of intervention. The Soil Management Workshop was designed and planned together by NAPP and Thai SPOs to tackle the farm problems that farmers are facing.

The first training collaboration between Fairtrade NAPP and NAPP Commercial Ventures Pte. Ltd, on HREDD Awareness was organised for 24 participants from 06 traders and 06 POs in Purwokerto on October 16, 2025. The training was customised as a participatory and experiential learning event, balancing theoretical inputs with hands-on exercises. As global sustainability regulations tighten, companies are now required to integrate HREDD into their business models. This training transforms compliance into a strategic advantage, enabling organizations to strengthen governance, mitigate risks, and enhance market credibility.

Continuing its mission to strengthen the capacities of Small Producer Organizations (SPOs) in Sri Lanka, the Fairtrade Network of Asia and Pacific Producers (NAPP) successfully concluded its 2025 Workshop series 3 and 4 in Kandy and Negombo during September and October 2025. The two final workshops brought together over 45 Fairtrade representatives from 15 herbs, spices, tea, and coconut producer organizations across the island.