Climate change and unbalanced trade relations have endangered
our global food systems. We urgently need a systemic change to secure
healthy food for the growing population.
Without bold action from key stakeholders and decision-makers that
will accelerate the resilience of our food systems, our favourite foods
might be at risk in the future. Farmers and workers already suffer from
degraded soil, water pollution, poor biodiversity, climate change, and
excessive use of toxic pesticides. Sustainability can be achieved, but
it requires determination and coherent actions to address three pillars:
economic, social, and environmental.
The interlinkages between agriculture, environment, and climate
change, in connection with social development and economic viability,
are fundamental for Fairtrade's mission and vision towards improving
sustainability.
There are many different approaches to sustainable agriculture. A recent IUCN paper
identified 14 of them with their own values and merits. Fairtrade
considers that agriculture approaches should be context-specific and
guided by an overarching set of principles. In that sense, 'agroecology principles' align the most with Fairtrade's origins, mission, vision, and theory of change.
How Fairtrade promotes agroecology principles
Many Fairtrade certified farms worldwide have adopted the principles
of agroecology, as they can be applied in smallholder settings and
plantations. Given the synergies, standard drivers, and shared
principles, agroecology is compatible with organic farming.
Our standards prohibit the use of certain agrochemicals that are
harmful to the environment and encourage farmers to reduce the use of
pesticides. This allows farmers to improve their land, develop
nutrient-rich soils to support healthy plants and encourage wildlife to
help control pests and diseases.
The standards also forbid the use of genetically modified
organisms(GMOs). While there isn't robust evidence of how they affect
human health, their use is commonly associated with market dependencies.
Fairtrade standards also consider human rights and social dimensions
related to agroecology, like gender equity, workers' rights, land
rights, and solidarity in general.
Fairtrade also organises training for farmers to learn how to grow under the principles of agroecology.
Many producers also invest their Fairtrade Premium – the extra money
they get for selling on Fairtrade terms – in various projects aimed at
diversifying their farms, combating forced labour, or restoring nature.
Strengthening farmers' skills and knowledge through technical support
is also crucial. Fairtrade certified organisations and cooperatives are
provided access to training and information to give them the resources
to become more aware of environmental, social, and economic issues and
their impact on their lives and crops.
Fairtrade's Policy Position for sustainable agriculture is
the result of an extensive consultative process, including inputs
provided by 25 key informants from the Fairtrade system, 230 Fairtrade
certified producer organisations, and 13 external peer reviewers/experts
in the field of human rights, economy, gender, agronomy, forestry, and
public health. It concludes with the consensus that Fairtrade must
transition toward embracing agroecology to operationalise the 25 policy
positions.
How the Fairtrade Premium can help preserve biodiversity
Fairtrade producers understand that a healthy environment is crucial to their livelihoods.
That's why one cocoa cooperative in Ghana set up the Sanfoka Project to combat a core threat contributing to low incomes- climate change.
The Sankofa project aims to have 400 farmers, each farming at least
one hectare of land using dynamic agroforestry practices by 2025 and to
start another 1,000 farmers using these practices. The project is also
scaling up other diversified food systems (not including other trees)
with a broader base of farmers, aiming for at least 2,500 households.
Continuing to scale up agroecological programmes like Sankofa will
require investment and long-term commitment to sustainable sourcing – as
well as a sense of urgency for all actors in the supply chain to
address climate change that is progressively threatening the livelihoods
of so many.
