In a world that is increasingly seeing the impacts of climate change, farming communities are often the worst affected despite having done least to cause the climate crisis.

These communities, which are already facing hardships due to unfavourable trade practices and unfair prices, are now also having to deal with increasingly extreme weather and more frequent plant diseases.

Many farmers are already changing the way they farm. Meet Foncho, Sadick, Liliane and Mauro, who with the support of Fairtrade, are doing what they can, so that they can keep growing the foods we love to eat here in the UK.

Albeiro Alfonso Cantillo – a farmer born into bananas

This farm means everything to us, especially for me and my family.

Albeiro Alfonso Cantillo

Albeiro Alfonso Cantillo, or Foncho as his friends call him, is a banana farmer in the Magdalena region in Colombia. He was born into bananas, as his farm has been passed down from generation to generation.

However, climate change is increasingly putting the livelihoods of farmer’s like Foncho at risk.

Unpredictable weather patterns, rising temperatures, hurricanes, droughts and floods are some of the effects of climate change. For countries in Central America and the Caribbean, this means less rainfall and more extreme temperatures.

The climate has definitely changed – today we can’t predict the climate as we used to before, like our elders did.

Albeiro Alfonso Cantillo

Not only are changes in weather having an impact on what is one of the UK’s favourite fruits, but because of these changes pests and diseases are also spreading their way through Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Bananas are extremely susceptible to Tropical Race 4 Fungus (TR4) and black rust. TR4 is a soil-borne fungus which gets into the plant through the roots and affects the way it takes in water, whereas black rust is caused by thrips, a type of insect.

However, according to Foncho, with Fairtrade, banana farmers now have “the tools to fight the effects of climate change”.

Being part of a Fairtrade-run initiative called Productivity Improvement Programme (PIP) has provided farmers with ways to manage plant diseases, reduce carbon and water footprint and improve fruit by using bio-fertilisers. Through this, they have saved money, used less water and improved the health of soil.

“Today my production is higher, the black rust control is better, I have a better stability inside my plantation”.

Foncho says that he is grateful for the stability of the Fairtrade Minimum Price which provides a safety net for growers.

Those two dollars we get above the cost of each box makes a difference for us, so we could be able to sustain ourselves as a family.

Albeiro Alfonso Cantillo

Sadick Abanga – the farmer planting trees for the future

I didn’t know I was punishing the land, now because of this project I’ve seen the benefits, there are more nutrients in the soil.

Sadick Abanga

Sadick farms nine acres of land for cocoa. He’s been doing this for 18 years and it’s getting increasingly difficult due to the climate crisis.

Part of his farm lies high on a rocky, steep hillside, unfriendly terrain for cocoa plants. When he first bought the land, he said: “It was so bare rays of sunshine hit the land.”

As cocoa is sensitive to environmental changes, growing the beans is becoming increasingly difficult and uncertain due to rising temperatures, volatile rain patterns and the increased susceptibility of trees to drought.

The rainfall pattern, it’s not like it was before. When there is too much sun most of the cocoa dies.

Sadick Abanga

Now, since being part of the dynamic agroforestry (DAF) project, his farm is protected by the shade of a variety of trees.

This is a technique he discovered after joining the project, which offers farmers from Sadick’s co-operative training in methods to adapt to climate change by improving soil, planting for shade, and attracting biodiversity.

Dynamic agroforestry is a combination of agricultural cultivation and agroforestry where farmers create natural forest-like systems that support a large variety of different food crops.

By mimicking natural forests, these methods bring many benefits such as soil fertility enhancement, reduction in pest and disease pressure, erosion control plus extra income.

In the past we used to cut small trees, burn the bush to clear everything from the land to get rid of weeds… I didn’t know I was punishing the land, now because of this project I’ve seen the benefits, there are more nutrients in the soil.

Sadick Abanga

Sadick explains that now the farmers do not apply weedicide or any chemicals, because the legumes they plant add extra nutrients as well as income whilst they wait for the cocoa to grow.

The climate and cost of living crises are severe threats to the livelihoods and communities of farmers like Sadick, but working as part of a team, with Fairtrade behind them, means they are able to access the support they need to keep on farming the cocoa we love.

In Sadick’s words, ‘we have officers to give us training and education, bonuses from the Premium, and they don’t discriminate, whether you are male or female you have a voice.’

Liliane and Mauro di Silva – a coffee-growing, future-focused team

We are not in charge of the climate, but we can collaborate a lot with it.

Liliane di Silva

Husband and wife duo, Liliane and Mauro farm coffee in Minas Gerais located in Brazil’s Serra da Mantiqueira, the land of specialty coffee.

It was what Liliane’s father did, and she wants her own teenage girls to be able to carry on the proud family tradition of producing top quality coffee, “our goal is for them to leave and study, but to return to the land where they were born and carry it forward”, Liliane says.

With the costs of farming going up, coffee prices increasingly volatile and the effects of the climate crisis deepening, it’s hard to imagine that staying on the farm is an attractive career option for their children.

Their fellow coffee farmers in other parts of Brazil have suffered very badly from unusually heavy frosts, and the couple have noticed that the weather is getting increasingly unpredictable.

We live and own property in an area very favourable for coffee, but, even so, we suffer a lot with the climate’s setbacks. To produce a special coffee, we need the climate.

Liliane di Silva

She and her colleagues in Ascarive, the Fairtrade co-operative they belong to, are trying out different methods for protecting their harvests.

There’s a risk these measures won’t work but they have to try. The support they get from Fairtrade means they have access to expertise and information about what’s been successful for coffee farmers elsewhere, as well as financial support.

So, what have they done to keep supplies of coffee flowing into our cups in the UK? As Liliane puts it, “we are not in charge of the climate, but we can collaborate a lot with it”.

Her neighbour and Fairtrade farmer Maria Paul agrees. “We develop green manure projects, beekeeping projects… biodiversity development and protection. And this has brought several benefits to our region. Why? Because when the producers take better care of their crops and of nature itself, it will be more resistant to overcome these environmental disasters.”

For Luiz, another co-operative member, it’s changed how he thinks about farming: “today I think about taking care of my piece of land there, of the hectares of coffee there. Not just the coffee tree, but the soil. This opened my mind a lot.”

Mauro believes it’s not just about techniques but also about facing the challenges together. He says that “coffee production is what I know how to do, I enjoy doing, I love working with coffee, and I see a lot of future. There have always been setbacks. Inputs, climate change, everything. But together we will learn to overcome these difficulties.”

The more sustainable I am, the more my children will have a future.

Liliane di Silva

Without immediate climate action, many of the UK’s favourite foods will be much more difficult to grow within the next two decades. However, this will need a joint effort from governments, businesses, consumers as well as producers themselves. This includes providing farmers with a seat at the table in decision-making rooms, businesses transitioning to fairer purchasing practices and everyone making more sustainable choices in their shopping.

Discover more about Fairtrade

Meet some of the farmers behind your Fairtrade cup of coffee

Fairtrade businesses championing the future of food

7 things people get wrong about Fairtrade

The post 3 Fairtrade farmers tackling the climate crisis appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/fairtrade-coronation-party/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:49:12 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=36681 Communities are getting together to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. So why not get out the bunting and the best Fairtrade (royal) tea.

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]]> Communities across the UK are getting together to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. So why not get out the bunting and the best Fairtrade (royal) tea?

The coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort takes place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London.

To celebrate, many people are holding Coronation Big Lunches on Sunday 7 May. And with an extra bank holiday on the Monday too, there’s plenty of time to enjoy these Fairtrade treats – specially created for the occasion.

Cocoa Loco Earl Grey & Honey Coronation Truffles

Fairtrade favourites Cocoa Loco have created these organic, Fairtrade truffles just for the royal coronation.

Made with smooth milk chocolate and infused with flavours of Earl Grey tea and honey. Even better, the truffles come in plastic-free packaging.

Buy from Cocoa’s Loco website.

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M&S Coronation English Breakfast Tea Tin

M&S’ regal purple tin embossed with gold contains tea fit for a king!

These Fairtrade English Breakfast teabags are the perfect addition to any street party teapot.

Buy from M&S stores nationwide or find on Ocado.

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Sainsbury’s Earl Grey Coronation Tea

Prefer Earl Grey? Sainsbury’s has just the tea for you.

Look out for these Fairtrade Taste the Difference Earl Grey tea bags with natural bergamot flavouring.

Buy from Sainsbury’s.

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Waitrose King’s Coronation English Breakfast Tea

Start the day the royal way with Waitrose’s Fairtrade English Breakfast tea.

The bunting-decorated tin is sure to become a collector’s item too!

Find at Waitrose.

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Looking for other Fairtrade party essentials?

All parties need cake! There are a wide array of Fairtrade baking ingredients like sugar and jam available across the UK.

And don’t forget to look for the FAIRTRADE Mark when purchasing wine, fizz or other drinks for your coronation party too.

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Party the Fairtrade way

20 Fairtrade Baking Ingredients

By choosing Fairtrade, you can make a difference to the lives of others, just by baking a cake.

7 ideas for afternoon tea at home

Afternoon tea is one of the nation’s favourite traditions and something you can easily recreate at home, with a varie-tea of Fairtrade goodies.

The post Host a Fairtrade coronation tea party appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/fairtrade-easter-eggs/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 04:17:00 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=20047 Take a look at some of our favourite Fairtrade Easter eggs for both adults and children: the very best Fairtrade white, dark and milk chocolate.

The post Fairtrade Easter Eggs for 2023 appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> It’s time to stock up for Easter: here are some of the best Fairtrade Easter eggs for all the family.

Finding an ethical Easter egg is easier than ever before.

By choosing Fairtrade this Easter, you’re backing cocoa farmers in earning a living income. And thanks to the Fairtrade Premium, they can also invest back in their community and their environment.

Here are just a few of our eggs-tra delicious Fairtrade favourites.

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Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite Wildflower Chocolate Egg

Luxury for less with Aldi’s Wildflower Chocolate Egg. Belgian milk chocolate lined with Gianduja. Made with Fairtrade cocoa.

Buy online from Aldi.

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Divine Dark Chocolate Egg

A rich dark chocolate egg that comes with mini dark chocolate eggs. This decadent Easter egg is made with 70% Fairtrade cocoa. It comes in plastic-free packaging too.

Buy Divine’s Luxury Dark Chocolate Egg from Ocado.

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Green & Black’s Organic Easter Egg

Treat someone special to Green & Black’s organic dark chocolate Easter egg. Made from Trinitario cocoa beans for extra flavour.

Buy Green & Black’s Dark Chocolate Egg.

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Guylian Milk Chocolate Egg

An enticing Easter egg made with 100% Fairtrade milk chocolate. Tucked inside are 12 seahorses crafted from Guylian’s famous praline.

Buy from the Guylian website.

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Lidl Deluxe Pink Gin White Chocolate Marbled Egg

A very grown up Easter egg! Lidl’s Deluxe Marbled Egg swirls pink gin flavour with Fairtrade white chocolate.

Buy from Lidl.

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Maltesers Milk Chocolate Easter Egg

A scrumptious milk chocolate Easter Egg complete with a packet of Maltesers made with Fairtrade chocolate.

Available from most retailers.

Buy from Waitrose.

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Tony’s Chocolonely Easter Eggs Assortment

This carton of 12 eggs is unfairly divided by flavour to draw attention to the inequality in the chocolate industry. Incredible milk chocolate, extra dark, milk almond honey nougat, milk caramel sea salt, milk hazelnut and milk pretzel toffee.

Pick up Tony’s Chocolonely’s Easter Eggs.

Why choose a Fairtrade Easter egg?

Farmers who grow the cocoa used in chocolate Easter eggs earn an average of $1 per day. It’s just not enough to meet their basic needs.

Plus cocoa farmers in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which have contributed the least to the climate emergency, are also facing its worst effects.

Choosing Fairtrade means backing farmers with fair pay, enabling them to create better lives for their families and communities.

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We have been able to build a school, accommodation for teachers of the school. We have renovated the hospital… all of this with the Fairtrade Premium. Without Fairtrade we wouldn’t be in this position.

Bengaly Bourama, Secretary General of the COOBADI cocoa co-operative in Côte d’Ivoire 

You might also like

Easter Eggs: Who wants to farm cocoa when they grow up?

Chocolate

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]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/deborahs-story-there-is-hope-if-there-is-certification/ Fri, 11 Nov 2022 14:13:23 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=33963 Fairtrade ambassador Deborah Osei-Mensah explains how Fairtrade farmers are tackling climate change – and what world leaders need to do.

The post Deborah’s story: ‘There is hope if there is certification.’ appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> Fairtrade ambassador Deborah Osei-Mensah tells us how Fairtrade farmers are tackling climate change – and what world leaders need to do.

“Farmers are on the frontline of the climate crisis. They are crying but no one is listening to them,” says Ghanaian Fairtrade ambassador Deborah Osei-Mensah.

She was speaking to the Fairtrade Foundation before the COP27 climate summit began in Egypt.

“At the end everyone is losing. It isn’t just the farmers: we won’t have the chocolate, the coffee, the fruit and other things that we wish to enjoy every day.”

Facing unfairness

Thanks to the impact of the climate crisis, farming is an increasingly uncertain career. But farmers in countries disadvantaged by unfair global trade structures have long struggled to provide for their families.

“I was born into farming, my mum and dad were farmers and still are,” Deborah says.

I saw my dad harvest a lot of cocoa but he was still struggling to get money, struggling to pay for household costs.

“Before and after school I helped out. But one thing I realised: I saw my dad harvest a lot of cocoa but he was still struggling to get money, struggling to pay for household costs, getting school fees was difficult, despite how hard he was working. So in my mind, farming wasn’t an option for me.”

Deborah finished school, went on to university and took part in national service.

Her turning point came by chance. She was working in the district of Asunafo and attended a meeting for a local Fairtrade co-operative.

The way the farmers talked about farm management, practices, harvesting, I realised then there is hope. I can do something

“These farmers were different from the farmers that I knew. That was the first time I learned about certification.

“I got to know about Fairtrade, the Fairtrade Premium and what they used it for. The way the farmers talked about farm management, practices, harvesting, I realised then there is hope. I can do something.”

More money, more power, more food security

“If cocoa is not profitable for farmers, they will look to other sources to give them the income they need. They will move to industrialisation – farmers [might sell] land to mines, to manufacturers.

“But once they are getting fair prices, farmers will protect their farm.

“Farmers use the Fairtrade Premium to contribute to their communities. If they feel they are being supported they can invest in the future of food security.”

A future for farming

“Fairtrade is what motivates me to work in farming.

“There is hope if there is certification. Certified farmers receive the Fairtrade Premium, the Minimum Price, but it also empowers farmers to speak for themselves.

I have hope because farmers are becoming stronger than they used to be.

“I have hope because farmers are becoming stronger than they used to be. In Ghana my co-operative and others have started forming an association, so farmers have a more powerful voice to advocate for change.

“I see a future for farming where farmers are more powerful and they can call on the government to do or make policies that will help them, support their farm and fight for their livelihoods. So there is still hope.”

No time to waste

Deborah says that shoppers across the world can help.

“For consumers, I want each and every one to be more conscious of the products we buy.

“Together, let’s make the future fair. Let’s buy more Fairtrade. Let’s advocate for producers across the globe to make sure we have a fair future for each and every one.”

There is no time to waste. Climate change is happening now.

She also has strong words for the world leaders at the COP27 climate summit. “There is no time to waste. Climate change is happening now.

“If there is action to be done, it has to be done now. If you have to save the world, to save food, it has to be done now.

“Political leaders should put their pen down and start acting.

“We have to save the future now.”

See Deborah speak at COP27

Join us in watching Deborah and other Fairtrade ambassadors speak at COP27 live-streamed events.

How Fairtrade is fighting for climate justice

Fairtrade and climate justice

10 January, 2023

Join the communities living with the worst effects of climate change in fighting for Climate Justice.

Fairtrade demands action from delegates at COP27

7 November, 2022

Fairtrade calls on Member States at COP27 to ‘honour their climate promises’ and ‘act now’ for our planet’s farmers.

The post Deborah’s story: ‘There is hope if there is certification.’ appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/halloween-fairtrade-chocolate-sandwich-cookies-recipe/ Wed, 26 Oct 2022 08:29:05 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=33820 These spooky vegan cookies are an easy Halloween bake. Even better, they are made with Fairtrade Divine cocoa powder.

The post Halloween chocolate sandwich cookies recipe appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> These spooky vegan chocolate sandwich cookies are an easy Halloween bake. Even better, they are made with Fairtrade Divine Cocoa.

Recipe by Nourishing Amy for Divine Chocolate. Find out how Fairtrade works with Divine.

• Makes: 10 sandwiches (20 cookies)
• Time: 10 minutes preparation plus 10 minutes baking. Plus cooling time.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 tbsp ground chia or flaxseed
• 5 tbsp plant-based milk
• 60g coconut oil, melted
• 60ml maple syrup
• 60g coconut or caster sugar
• 105g plain or gluten-free plain flour
• 50g oat flour
• 40g Divine Cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt.

Buttercream:

• 40g vegan butter, softened
• 120g icing sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla essence
• 1-2 tbsp plant-based milk
• Orange food gel/colouring
• Green food gel/colouring
• Melted chocolate
• Edible sugar eyes.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Line 2-3 baking trays with baking parchment.
  
• Prepare the chia or flax “egg” by whisking together the ground chia/flax seeds with the milk until gloopy. Leave for five minutes.
  
• Make the cookie dough in a separate bowl. To do this, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, sugar and your “egg” mixture until smooth.
  
• Add in the plain flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir to a thick, sticky cookie dough.
  
• Divide the cookie dough into 20 pieces. Roll each one into a ball and flatten slightly with your hands. Place onto the trays, leaving a two-centimetre gap around each one, and shape into a circle. Make sure they are all about the same size.
  
• Bake each tray for five minutes, then turn the trays around and bake for 3-4 more minutes, until the cookies are crisping at the edges.
  
• Transfer the baking parchment to wire racks and allow to cool fully before removing the cookies. If you like, you can now drizzle 10 cookies (for the tops) with melted chocolate. Leave to set in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  
• Make the buttercream. To do this, beat the softened butter for 1-2 minutes until fluffy than gradually beat in the icing sugar, vanilla and plant-based milk. One mixed, beat for another 1-2 minutes.
  
• Divide the buttercream into two bowls, adding the orange colouring to one and the green to the other. Start with 1-2 drops of food colouring and stir thoroughly to reach your desired colour.
  
• Place the buttercream into piping bags with a round nozzle. Turn the remaining 10 cookies upside down (the ones without the chocolate drizzle). Pipe five with orange buttercream and five with green buttercream. Sandwich together with the cookie tops. Add edible sugar eyes.

These vegan Halloween sandwich cookies will keep in a sealed container for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 3-5 days – if you can stop yourself from eating them all at once!

Love baking, love farmers and workers

Are you the next Bake Off star in the making? Don’t forget to look for the FAIRTRADE Mark when you buy your ingredients – it can really “bake” a difference to the farmers and workers who produced them.

From sugar to cinnamon, find out about 20 Fairtrade baking ingredients.

More Halloween treats

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]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/new-fairtrade-chocolate-on-the-block/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 08:26:25 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=33748 This Chocolate Week there are even more reasons to celebrate with these new chocolate bars, all using Fairtrade ingredients.

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]]> This Chocolate Week there are even more reasons to celebrate with these new chocolate bars, all using Fairtrade ingredients.

Five awesome Fairtrade partners have new chocolate treats just waiting for your next coffee break.

Alter Eco

Alter Eco source all of their ingredients from small-scale producers committed to regenerative farming. Each scrumptious chocolate bar brings together the best, organic Fairtrade ingredients. They have an amazing six new chocolate bars to try:

• Ecuador 70% Dark
• Peruvian 85% Dark
• Almond Dark Chocolate
• Orange Dark Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate
• Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate

Ask for Alter Eco chocolate at independent grocery shops across the UK.

Co-op Gro

Co-op GRO Gianduja Chocolate Bar is a scrumptious new vegan chocolate bar.

Ideal for fans of plant-based treats, this smooth hazelnut chocolate is made with Fairtrade Peruvian cocoa.

Pick up from the Co-op.

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Green & Black’s

Green & Black’s Maya Gold was the very first chocolate in the UK to carry the Fairtrade MARK.

Green & Black’s new Organic Smooth 50% Cocoa bars are made with exceptionally smooth and less bitter dark Fairtrade chocolate. There’s a new Smooth Mint flavour too.

Buy Green & Black’s chocolate.

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Mighty Fine

Mighty Fine handmake all of their gorgeous golden honeycomb treats here in the UK and are moving to 100 per cent Fairtrade cocoa!

Look for the FAIRTRADE Mark on their bars and dips from the start of 2023.

Buy Mighty Fine chocolate.

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Waitrose

The new No.1 WholeFruit Chocolate Special Edition Bar is made from 100 per cent pure Fairtrade cacaofruit (the fruit that cocoa beans come from).

This exclusive bar uses the whole of the fruit, apart from the skin, to help reduce food waste.

Buy the WholeFruit bar from Waitrose.

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Why choose Fairtrade chocolate?

At Fairtrade, we’re all fans of chocolate.

But we know that cocoa farming can be punishing. Farmers work long, hard days – often not earning enough to live on. According to research, a typical cocoa farmer in Côte d’Ivoire earns less than $1 a day.

Added to that is the increasing impact of climate change, with unpredictable weather and new pests and diseases attacking cocoa crops.

Together with farmers and businesses, Fairtrade is working for a fairer future in chocolate.

Fairtrade farmers receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price for their goods, plus the Fairtrade Premium.

This extra sum of money means that not only can cocoa farmers pay for everyday necessities like healthcare, they can invest the Premium into projects to help the community or to improve biodiversity where they live.

So next time you get your chocolate fix, make sure it has the Fairtrade MARK on the label.

Hungry for more?

The post New Fairtrade chocolate on the block appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/three-reasons-mars-leap-is-exciting/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:00:56 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=30757 We've listed three elements of the Mars, Fairtrade and ECOOKIM partnership that highlight why this programme is novel, ambitious and urgently needed.

The post Three reasons to be excited about our partnership with Mars appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> By Taryn Holland, Head of Programs at Fairtrade Foundation

Today, Mars, Fairtrade and ECOOKIM – a collection of cocoa farming co-operatives in Côte d’Ivoire – announced plans to deepen their partnership, through an innovative $10m program to raise farmer incomes. This program is novel, experimental and ambitious – it’s also urgently needed. Taryn Holland, Head of Programs at Fairtrade Foundation, picks out three elements of this partnership to look out for.

• Learn more about ECOOKIM
• Read Mars, Incorporated Supports 14,000 Cocoa Farmers on a Path to a Sustainable Living Income by 2030 (Press Release)

1. Farmers are at the heart of our work together

Fairtrade first started working together with ECOOKIM farmers and Mars over two years ago, to identify the most effective ways to raise cocoa farmers’ incomes and help farming households thrive. Farmers themselves know better than anyone else both the challenges they face – such as climate change and long-term low prices – as well as the sorts of solutions that can best tackle these challenges.

As a collective of several cocoa farming co-operatives, ECOOKIM have been perfectly placed to represent the needs, views and experiences of their members in this context. It’s why I’m delighted that they have strongly contributed to the design of the new Livelihoods Ecosystem Advancement Program (LEAP) – an innovative five-year partnership between Fairtrade, Mars Wrigley and ECOOKIM, which is centred around farmers’ voices and engagement at all levels.

It’s vital that farmers are actively involved in shaping, owning and implementing programs that affect their lives and livelihoods. By working so closely with ECOOKIM the program has been designed with the needs of cocoa farmers in mind: farmers like Mile and Digbeu.

Mile is 62 years old, and grows around two tonnes of cocoa per year, supplemented by maize, chilis and cassava four. She’s a widow with five children and has a house to run, alongside farming. She is determined, experienced and organised, but time poor.

By contrast, Digbeu has a large family farm that grows five tonnes of cocoa per year, but generates less income beyond cocoa farming. He has also experienced issues with maintaining the crops on his farm, in the face of climate change.

Because no two farmers are the same, the LEAP approach will support different types of farmers with tailored packages to move towards a living income, regardless of their starting position. This means developing bespoke support for farming families depending on individual farm size, productivity levels, and income earned from beyond cocoa farming. We want to meet farmers like Mile and Digbeu where they’re at, rather than providing one-size-fits-all solutions.

2. Building on Fairtrade sourcing

Mars have been sourcing Fairtrade certified cocoa from ECOOKIM for many years, with products in the UK including Maltesers and Mars bars proudly bearing the Fairtrade Mark. Mars will continue to source cocoa on Fairtrade terms from ECOOKIM, and make additional investments that help improve farmer incomes even further over the long term.

LEAP has been designed as a ‘market-systems’ program. The program will tackle barriers that prevent farmer incomes from growing, investing into the wider ‘market ecosystem’ within which they operate, and improving the business services and supporting functions they can choose to access over time.

In practical terms, we’ll be focusing investment into strengthening the capacity of ECOOKIM and participating co-operatives to provide their members with best-in-class technical support, as well as good value agricultural resources such as fertiliser to improve farm performance. We will also be investing in digital solutions to improve farmers’ access to finance, as well as exploring ways which incomes, beyond cocoa, can be advanced both on and beyond the farm.

3. Sharing and embracing lessons 

LEAP is deliberately dynamic, meaning that we’ll look to adjust our approach in line with evidence of impact and farmer feedback. We will look to make changes in real-time, sharing what we’re learning with peers in the sector as we go, and incorporating good practice from elsewhere, based on evidence of success. By sharing the lessons along the way, we’ll raise visibility of both the challenges confronted and evidence of successes that can be scaled to other farming households over time.

Just as no two farmers are the same, no two partnerships are the same either.

Having worked with ECOOKIM and Mars for the last two years to pull together our farmer-centric approach to improving incomes, we’re so excited to finally get started together.

A female farming leader at the forefront of the program, Aminata Bamba, Head of Sustainability for Fairtrade co-operative ECOOKIM, said: ’For us, Fairtrade is not just a certification, it means so much more for farmers. Fairtrade helps pull producers out of poverty. It means a woman can flourish because she knows her rights, she can earn extra money to support the family and pay for school fees, she can buy medicines when her child is sick. All the changes we’ve made are thanks to the Fairtrade Premium, so it’s important that consumers continue to enjoy Fairtrade chocolate. We’re so excited to announce the next steps in our journey with Fairtrade and Mars.’

Mike Gidney, Chief Executive, Fairtrade Foundation, said: ‘We believe that all farmers should get the incomes their hard work deserves, and we know new approaches are needed. By investing in strengthening cocoa co-operatives, widening access to finance, and supporting farmers in diversifying their incomes, together, we hope to achieve deeper impact for farming households.’

To track our progress together, be sure to check out our Partnership page where we’ll be posting farmer stories and key insights in the years to come:

Fairtrade and Mars – Livelihoods Ecosystem Advancement Program (LEAP)

Find out more

The post Three reasons to be excited about our partnership with Mars appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/meet-cocoa-farmer-bismark/ Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:51:55 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=28382 We spoke to Bismark Kpabitey, a Fairtrade cocoa farmer and a member of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana about his life as a cocoa farmer and the issues he and other farmers face as a result of climate change.

The post Meet cocoa farmer Bismark appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> Bismark Kpabitey is a Fairtrade cocoa farmer from the Ahafo region of Ghana. He told us about his family, his love of sports, and the impact climate change has on his life.

Can you describe a day in the life of a farmer?

I wake up around 5.30am to get ready for the day.

When I go to the field around 7am it tells me what to do: pruning, field work for about three hours and when it is too hot, I stop.

I go home, eat, listen to music, relax, watch football on TV, then I return as the sun is setting to work for a few more hours.

In the evening I join committee meetings, or play volleyball with my friends. I like sports.

How long have you been farming cocoa?

I started my own farm in around 2017. Before then, I grew up with my parents who were also cocoa farmers. I used to join them when I was on holidays from school and help in the field.

If things don’t change, I don’t think my son will want to be a farmer.

I’m the third generation. My grandfather started it, then my parents and now I’m taking over.

What about the next generation, do you hope they’ll become farmers?

I have a wife and a son, Bastian. I used to want to be one of the greatest farmers in the country. But if things don’t change, I don’t think he will want to be a farmer.

Why if things don’t change – is it difficult to farm?

Very, very difficult. It’s all about this climate issue. When I was a kid and I was helping my parents to farm, every season, we’d get a good yield. And because of cocoa farming I was able to go to school and even to acquire my first degree.

But after that things had become so difficult that my younger siblings… couldn’t continue and decided to find their own jobs.

It is very difficult to go into agriculture because the rainfall pattern has changed.

It is very difficult to go into agriculture because the rainfall pattern has changed. Currently we are experiencing a very hot sun, which is really affecting our crops. For about two months now, we have not experienced any rains. It is so severe that we are losing almost every crop.

In some areas we experienced swollen shoot in the cocoa and we have black pods too. We also have pests, who attack our plants.

Some people are doing logging: it is illegal to cut down trees and has a huge impact on the climate.

And the cocoa is affected?

Yes, cocoa, which is our main crop, is hardest hit. Previously, at the end of the year, you are able to harvest something to get money, to take care of the family, but I can tell you this year will be one of the worst years ever. It’s very worrying, very disturbing – especially for farmers.

Watch Bismark in conversation with Hugo Guerrero, a coffee farmer from Peru, and Fairtrade Foundation CEO Mike Gidney on YouTube.

Are there things that you can do to mitigate against the damage?

I’m part of a project called Sankofa that is really helping farmers in dynamic agro-forestry. Many organisations have come together to give us training on diversification. This is where you plant different crops in the same field.

Initially we planted only cocoa. Whenever there were prolonged periods of no rainfall, [when] we planted cocoa… you lost about 70-80 percent of the plants. But since this system was introduced to us, we realised it has really improved.

Now we also plant crops like cowpea, mucuna, cocoyam. This makes the soil moist. We have some annual crops like yam, cassava. You can plant about ten or more annual crops in the same piece of land.

We also plant more trees – different varieties of mango, avocado, orange. We add timber and that offsets carbon. Some are for economic use and some are for the protection of the field, during the dry season.

What impact is it having?

If you go there, it’s always cool, the wind there is really comfortable, compared to the conventional system where you had to work in the full sun.

Currently, the issue is we are only a few farmers benefiting from this system. I want this project to extend. And this can only be possible with funding support from additional partners.

How else does being part of Fairtrade help?

The Fairtrade Premium bonuses [have been used] to build infrastructures – like clinics, health centres, water pumps, boreholes, giving us water in areas where we don’t have access to good drinking water.

You did your degree in Business and Human Resource Management, why did you not pursue a job in the city?

I like agriculture. This is one thing that makes me happy, being on the field. I had true motivation.

Do you see yourself as a climate activist?

I am now! After going to COP26 in Glasgow with Fairtrade and seeing how my stories went viral, I realised I have knowledge that I want to share. I can read and write, I try to make others understand.

I give farmers training from what I’ve learned in Sankofa, I want to help others to take some steps.

Photo credits: Fairtrade Africa and Fairtrade Foundation.

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The project Bismark is part of, “Alliances for Sankofa” is supported by the Coop Sustainability Fund and Chocolats Halba, the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa (SWISSCO) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Max Havelaar Foundation Switzerland. It is implemented by ITC together with the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited (KKFU) and partners including the Government of Ghana, Fairtrade Africa, WWF Switzerland and the Yam Development Council. Technical support to the project is provided by Ecotop Suisse GmbH, South Pole and the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF).

The post Meet cocoa farmer Bismark appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/how-the-womens-school-of-leadership-transformed-salimatas-life/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 14:36:00 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=23576 Diakete Salimata, aged 49, is a member of the SCAANIAS cocoa co-operative and based in a small village near the city of Abengourou in Côte d’Ivoire. Despite the community being beset by many challenges, the women have come together to create opportunities for everyone. Life is hard for women in cocoa growing communities. They work…

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]]> Diakete Salimata, aged 49, is a member of the SCAANIAS cocoa co-operative and based in a small village near the city of Abengourou in Côte d’Ivoire. Despite the community being beset by many challenges, the women have come together to create opportunities for everyone.

Life is hard for women in cocoa growing communities. They work all day toiling on their farms, trying to combat crop diseases and pests, on top of the many laborious tasks involved in cocoa farming. They are also usually responsible for caring for their children. There is no water in the village, so a large amount of time is spent walking to collect it. Many women traditionally also still don’t own land officially nor have much say in decision-making within their communities – but an initiative set up by Fairtrade Africa is changing all of that.

When Salimata decided to take part in Fairtrade Africa’s Women’s School of Leadership (WSOL) the mother of eight was already an entrepreneur: as well as running a cocoa farm she has a small-scale poultry and fish farm. When Salimata joined its training programme, she suffered from a real lack of self-confidence and a fear of speaking up and expressing herself, which inhibited her leadership abilities. Salimata overcame this fear of public speaking with the support of fellow SCAANIAS co-op member and WSOL student, Kouao Amah. Taking part in the programme restored her self-confidence, so she could express herself and grow as a leader. She says: ‘If I hadn’t done the training, I would have stayed in my corner and not woken up. I used to be in a pit and now I’m free.’

She also gained practical skills in financial management and now Salimata is part of a group of women running a cassava processing facility creating acheke, a couscous-like staple food to sell at the local market. This is bringing in extra income for the women that they can control, providing them with vital reserves when times are tough. While the women’s group was initially formed many years before the co-op became Fairtrade certified, it hadn’t been running any income generation activities: but taking part in the programme inspired Salimata to kick start it again. As she says: ‘After undergoing the Women School of Leadership training, I felt motivated to gather the women together again to resume our activities. We’re now very active in our production and we’ve been going for one year now. At first the other women weren’t convinced they wanted to participate but I convinced them of the benefits of joining the project. We agreed to start it up again.

‘We all produce cassava but we’d actually sold it all already when we resumed the processing business, so we had to buy cassava in. This year we’ve grown a lot more.’

This increase in income allows the women to save money for themselves, which they hope will help with caring for the whole family, paying their children’s school fees, and expanding their business. For example, extra revenue means they can pay seasonal workers, grow more cocoa and increase productivity.

‘We now work together in synergy. This helps us feel empowered, tire ourselves less and work together. We exchange opinions and share tasks. We support each other, share our problems and find a common way through. Do I feel differently now we are working together as a unit? Yes, it’s totally different for me,’ Salimata says.

Cocoa crops are frequently threatened by swollen shoot disease and black pod – a type of rot caused by fungus – and the farmers are trained by Fairtrade Africa to reduce outbreaks. By replacing the use of agrochemicals with new pruning techniques, co-ops see less disease and pests are becoming more rare. The monetary value of the change in their farming techniques has resulted in a 50% increase in yields.

Despite this success and newfound confidence, the women still face several challenges: primarily, the need to sell more cocoa under Fairtrade terms. Only with the Fairtrade Premium – the additional sum of money earned from selling Fairtrade cocoa – will the village be able to purchase and build the well that they desperately need. That’s why Fairtrade will continue working alongside women like Salimata, helping them to thrive in all they do.

Support women cocoa farmers like Salimata by choosing Fairtrade chocolate.

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]]> https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/love-chocolate-hate-injustice-6-reasons-to-choose-fairtrade/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:03:03 +0000 https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?p=21781 We all love chocolate but like most things in life, if you look more closely at the wrapper you can find out a lot more about the conditions under which the beans in your bar were produced.

The post Love Chocolate, hate injustice? 6 reasons to choose Fairtrade appeared first on Fairtrade Foundation.

]]> We all love chocolate because it tastes nice and for most of us, once we start on a bar of chocolate we can’t stop until it’s all gone. That creamy viscosity when you take it out of its wrapper and put a piece in your mouth without biting, combined with the perfect ration of sugar and fat is mouthwateringly tantalising. 

But like most things in life, if you look more closely at the wrapper, you can find out a lot more about the conditions under which the beans in your bar were produced. Because the unpalatable truth is that the chocolate industry is more bittersweet than you might think. And on 31^st March, the government of Côte d’Ivoire announced it had reduced the guaranteed price paid to farmers by 25% compared to last year. Find out more about the price drop. 

Around 60 percent of the world’s cocoa is produced by 2.5 million small farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana under very tough conditions, in a small belt within 10 degrees of the equator, where the weather is hot and wet enough for the beans to thrive. The production of this precious commodity rests all too often on inequality, injustice and exploitation.  

Despite working gruelling days, the average cocoa farmer in the cocoa belt earns just $1 per day or less, well below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day, and even further behind the amount that equates to a living income at around $2.50 a day. On top of this cocoa farmers are exposed to the volatility of the global cocoa market. 

1. Gender equity

An already unacceptable situation is even worse for a large number of women farmers – Fairtrade has calculated they earn five times less than their male counterparts. Fairtrade is supporting women to challenge the gender gap, enabling them to stake their claim and succeed on their own terms. Fairtrade Standards are designed to prevent gender inequality, increase female participation and empower more women and girls to access the benefits of Fairtrade. 

When the terms of trade are stacked against farmers it drives poverty, social injustice and environmental degradation. Without action by all actors – consumers, businesses, the cocoa sector, governments – the systemic problems facing the cocoa sector will persist.  

Therese belongs to CAVA co-operative in Côte d’Ivoire. She believes her children deserve more. So that’s her priority – doing everything she can to offer them better chances in life. In her words ‘to leave them higher’. 

2. Education 

Perhaps the single most important thing that happened to Therese – or didn’t happen – was that she didn’t go to school. ‘This was devastating to me.’ She knows the opportunities that education can offer, the choices it can open up. And it’s left her determined to do whatever she can to make sure her children have those chances. The oldest is at university in Côte d’Ivoire’s capital city, Abidjan. The others study in the biggest nearby town, which is still a bumpy two-hour drive away. They stay there, which means not only that she must pay for their fees and books, but that she must find a place for them to stay and pay for their food. 

3. Decent incomes 

As an Ivorian cocoa farmer and a woman at that, Therese is one of the fortunate ones. Both she and her husband own their own cocoa farms. She belongs to a group of farmers who have a market for their beans through Fairtrade. Most importantly, this means that she has a safety net in the form of a minimum price for her crop. This is vital, as prices for cocoa are some of the most volatile on the market and frequently plunge to levels that leave farmers like Therese hungry and out of pocket. 

4. Food security 

It’s this security that allows Therese and her husband to support eight children. She has to pay for their fees and books, as well as boarding and food. Most of her money goes on their education but there’s no question that the sacrifices she makes are worth it. ‘I am suffering at the moment for my kids to have a good job in cities so that they will not come back here and suffer again like me.’ She and her husband supplement their income with other crops, because the money from cocoa only comes in a couple of times a year and more often than not, doesn’t last that long. ‘At the moment life is very hard around here.’ 

As is so often case across the world, the responsibilities of cooking, washing and cleaning the house also fall to Therese. Collectively, the co-operative she belongs to earns extra money through Fairtrade, called the Fairtrade Premium. Together they decide what they should spend it on for the most benefit to their community.  

5. Clean Water 

For Therese, one of the biggest changes brought about by this is a community water pump. The village she lives in has seen an improvement in child health: ‘In the past the water we used to have to drink, even if people were asking you to do their washing in it, you would have refused because it [the water] was unclean, but we used to boil that water before drinking. Thanks to the co-op CAVA, today we can have clean water in our village to drink. In the past when we used to drink the dirty water from wells and rivers the children were getting sick all the time, but today, because of the water coming from the pump, children are feeling well, healthier, and everybody is happy about that.’  

For Therese, the price she gets now for her cocoa is better than before. She illustrates how powerless the cocoa farmers are in the supply chain. They were at the mercy of whatever anyone would pay them: ‘Thanks to co-operative CAVA, we can say that CAVA is respecting the government’s price, but before the co-op we used to have here, private buyers, that were hiding to come and buy, who would not respect or enforce the price. Now CAVA is respecting the price and our revenues are increasing.’  

6. Climate justice 

It’s not all about the Fairtrade price and premium though. Therese is keen to highlight the other benefits of being part of Fairtrade. It’s the way the co-op is organised, and how it ensures health and safety and other rights at work are upheld. ‘When I am selling through CAVA co-op, the price is respected. In addition, the co-op is in charge of the treatment, they provide pesticides, they provide boots, they provide machetes, they even provide cash money to the farmers so that they can handle the farms, this is called the Premium and I really appreciate that.’ 

Therese’s story highlights the main seven benefits that Fairtrade brings to her community, namely education, income improvement, access to clean drinking water, nutritious diet, environmental protection and climate mitigation, healthcare and gender empowerment.  

For the future of chocolate to be fair and sustainable, cocoa farmers need to earn enough to cover their basic needs. They need to earn living incomes, enough so farmers can have a decent standard of living, enough to cover all their cocoa farming costs and their basic human rights, such as a nutritious diet, children’s education and healthcare. Plus a little bit extra for the future.  

We started campaigning for living incomes in 2017, calling for action across the chocolate sector. We then introduced our Fairtrade Living Income Reference Price and set out a comprehensive framework for companies to sign up to, bringing together tactics such as raising productivity, farm efficiency and empowerment of women leaders in farming communities as well as higher prices. 

Fairtrade chocolate is undoubtedly a choice for change. When you choose Fairtrade you’re choosing fair pay and more power in the hands of cocoa farmers, to invest in their businesses, grow their incomes, and build better lives for their families and communities. Fairtrade means food, clean water, climate justice, medical care, education, gender equity and food security. Your choice signals to businesses and governments that you believe in a fairer future, where cocoa farmers can earn a living income. We all have a part to play to change the future of chocolate for the better.  

Unwrap a brighter future for cocoa farmers by choosing Fairtrade this World Chocolate Day. 

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