27 Jan 2016

Fairtrade Climate Academy Gets Boost from Dutch Postcode Lottery

At the yearly ‘Goed Geld Gala’ on January 26th, the Dutch Postcode Lottery announced that they will support the Fairtrade Climate Academy, a new program proposed by Max Havelaar (Fairtrade Netherlands), Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Africa.

Csm dutch postcode lottery logo 7799c50b19
Dutch postcode lottery logo

Climate change is anything but fair. In most cases, impoverished countries have contributed the least to excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and yet they are suffering the most from the impact of climate change. Small-holder farmers, in particular, are being hit hard. Their survival depends directly on the productivity of their land. Their crops are affected by droughts, frost or extreme rainfall, as well as subtle seasonal shifts and very gradual rises in temperature. Due to years of underinvestment, most are are not financially capable of improving their practices or adapting to the effects of climate change.

Coffee, one of the world’s largest commodities, cultivated by approximately 20 million smallholder farmers, is projected to suffer greatly from climate change. Warmer temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns are a serious threat to global coffee production. This is a harsh reality for farmers, whose survival depends on the productivity of the land. Their incomes are gradually evaporating and they have little to invest and few options for diversification. Their future is at stake.

The effects of climate change differ by country and region, based on the terrain and the crops that farmers are cultivating. That’s why Max Havelaar, Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Africa are initiating the locally-based Climate Academy. The academy aims to increase farmers’ resilience to the effects of climate change by systematically training them and implementing insights, skills and techniques that will enable them to better adapt. Farmers will learn from experts and subsequently from each other.

Fairtrade/Max Havelaar were among more than 100 NGOs that will share in a record amount of 328 million euros from the Dutch Postcode Lottery, as announced at the Goed Geld Gala. Since 1989, the Dutch Postcode Lottery has been raising funds to support organizations working for a fairer, greener world. Fifty percent of its income goes to charity. The lottery has grown to become the Netherlands' biggest charity lottery and supports 92 non-governmental organizations. Since its founding, the lottery has dispensed over 4.4 billion euros to its beneficiaries. Read more information here.

Funds awarded to Fairtrade will support the Climate Academy, which will launch in Machakos, a region in Kenya. The programme is slated to last two years and after being evaluated will result in a Climate Academy Guide that will then be available for other African coffee organizations, coordinated by Fairtrade Africa.

Fairtrade recently launched the Fairtrade Climate Standard and Fairtrade Carbon Credits to help farmers address issues around climate change. Read the full story on the Fairtrade Climate Change programme.