Fairtrade announces three-year global strategy

Fairtrade International (FLO) CEO Harriet Lamb has announced Fairtrade’s new global three-year strategic framework at BioFach in Nuremburg. “With our 2013-2015 strategy ‘Unlocking the Power of the Many’ we seek to be at the cutting edge of reforming global trade in favour of justice, unlocking the power of disadvantaged farmers and workers and the consumers who support them,” says Ms Lamb. (Picture by Lucy Russell: Harriet in a lively discussion with John M. Kanjagaile, Export Manager at Kagera Co-Operative Union LTD at BioFach) 
 

For the past 25 years the Fairtrade system has taken the vision of the pioneering fair traders to the wider public. The Fairtrade Mark has grown into the world’s most recognized ethical label representing over 1.2 million smallholders and workers and US$ 6.6 bn (close to € 5bn) in retail sales. Last month Fairtrade International released new figures which reveal growth in the number of Fairtrade farmers and workers (10% increase), and the money they earned from sales revenue (22%) and Fairtrade Premium (19%). John M. Kanjagaile, Export Manager at Kagera Co-Operative Union LTD.
 

Fairtrade’s new strategy seeks to intensify work with smallholders and workers and innovate to drive sales in the market, so that thousands more farmers and workers can grow profitable businesses, build thriving communities, and progress toward a living wage. The new strategic framework focuses on delivering in four key areas:
 

World-class work with smallholders – Support Fairtrade small producer groups to be beacons of best practice, showing how smallholders can engage most effectively and profitably in trade.
Drive real change for workers – Focus support for workers to be able to organize and negotiate towards a living wage and improved terms of employment.
Grow the grassroots social movement and the market – Work with citizens and companies to consolidate market share in established markets and build up new markets in USA, India and Brazil; build core products (coffee, cotton, cocoa, sugar, bananas, flowers and tea); innovate for impact beyond the Fairtrade Mark.

Strengthen the global Fairtrade system – Work as a strong global network to international plans and budgets with producer networks as half-owners of the system; seek new funds for more programmes for smallholders and workers.
 

The global Fairtrade system, including 22 national Fairtrade labelling initiatives and three continental producer networks, is united behind this common strategic framework. The full details of the ‘Unlocking the Power of the Many’ strategic framework are available on Fairtrade International’s homepage: www.fairtrade.net/our_strategy.html
(Photo: Dieter Overath, Fairtrade Germany and Harriet Lamb, Fairtrade International at BioFach 2013)