EGALITE, FRATERNITE, SUSTAINABILITE: why the climate revolution must be a fair revolution

30 September 2009

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EGALITE, FRATERNITE, SUSTAINABILITE: why the climate revolution must be a fair revolution

Climate change and Fairtrade are interlinked because those at the heart of the Fairtrade movement, poor farmers and workers in developing countries, are at the frontline of the climate crisis, says the Fairtrade Foundation in a new discussion paper launched today.

The paper is being released to coincide with a speech by Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation later today (Wednesday 30 Sept 5.45pm – 7pm at the Friends Meeting House on Ship Street, Brighton). This will form part of a debate about economic growth and sustainable consumption entitled ‘Equal not more, has growth failed?’ at the Labour Party conference as part of the ‘Climate Clinic’ fringe event.

The paper entitled ‘Egalité, Fraternité, Sustainabilité: why the climate revolution must be a fair revolution’, highlights how climate change is already affecting producers, reducing crop yields and making their lives more uncertain.

Willington Wamayeye, Managing Director of Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative which supplies the UK Fairtrade market says: ‘Rains now fall heavily for a short period and our dry season is much longer. The coffee plants are badly affected – flowering is stopping. Last year alone we lost about 40% of our production. As a result, people struggle for everything. Food is getting more expensive and key food crops like bananas are being threatened as well. Without work and opportunities young people are being forced to move to the cities.’

The paper explores how the Fairtrade system helps poor producers to adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change and how the system might be developed to increase its impact. The Fairtrade system helps farmers to plan ahead and to invest in new ways of farming and switching to different crops. The system of organising into co-operatives also helps farmers to share information and work together in adapting to climate change.

Toby Quantrill, Head of Public Policy at the Fairtrade Foundation says: ‘The Fairtrade movement has always fought to support small farmers and workers in their quest to find solutions to the challenges they face. As the climate crisis looms, we will continue to do so. With our founding principles, experience and the networks we have built up, we are uniquely placed to play a specific role in the global response to climate change.

‘Too often, people assume that there is an inherent contradiction between buying Fairtrade and shopping ‘sustainably’. However, the carbon impact of Fairtrade is far less than is often assumed. There is plenty of evidence that Fairtrade has a role to play in directly supporting adaptation to climate change by small farmers in countries of the global South as well as reducing inequality overall and as such, buying Fairtrade should be considered a positive consumption choice by those seeking to live more ‘sustainably’.

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We hope that this discussion paper has offered some new perspectives on the role of Fairtrade in the global response to climate change. We are interested to hear your responses and would welcome any feedback on the content of this paper or ideas as to how the Fairtrade movement could be responding to climate change, working with others or helping to re-frame the debate.You can contact us by emailing climatechange@fairtrade.org.uk

Notes to Editors

1.     The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 72% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people – farmers, workers and their families – across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

2.     Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs &  spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool and olive oil.

3.     7 in 10 households purchase Fairtrade goods, including an extra 1.3 million more households in 2008, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £700m in 2008, a 43% increase on the previous year. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK and by the end of October 2008 872 certified producer groups were in the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers.