Responding to today’s speech by COP26 President Alok Sharma, the Head of Policy at the Fairtrade Foundation, Tim Aldred, said:
‘Fairtrade farmers went to COP26 in hope. They returned to farms facing extreme heat, flooding and storms which threaten their lives and livelihoods. Governments have not yet agreed to emissions cuts that will restrict global heating to 1.5 degrees. Countries must go further and urgently make the deeper cuts which are needed to protect us all.
‘Fairtrade farmers – and their farming communities in low-income nations – urgently need access to climate finance to prepare for the changing climate. The promise of $100bn per annum is in reach but has not been met, and this has to be a priority for the COP26 President during 2022. It is vital that finance directly reaches smallholder farmers who grow much of the world’s food, including many products for the UK’s supermarket shelves.
‘As part of their commitments to put finance behind this just transition, promises were made in Glasgow: including a promise by the UK Government to spend £500 million to combat deforestation, and £64 million to support the Just Transition in agriculture. Again, farmers are keen to learn how and when these new promises will be delivered on the ground.
‘It is helpful that COP President Alok Sharma has set out his priorities today. The world is heating up and there is no room for delay. Fairtrade farmers need him to secure action not words from governments worldwide before the end of the UK Presidency.’
ENDS
For further information, please contact Tomilola Ajayi: tomilola.ajayi@fairtrade.org.uk
Notes to editors
About Fairtrade
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in low-income countries.
Fairtrade International is an independent non-profit organization representing 1.9 million small-scale farmers and workers worldwide. It owns the FAIRTRADE Mark, a registered trademark of Fairtrade that appears on more than 37,000 products. Beyond certification, Fairtrade International and its member organisations – including the Fairtrade Foundation – empower producers, partner with businesses, engage consumers, and advocate for a fair and sustainable future.
Fairtrade is committed to fighting the climate crisis. Fairtrade Standards encourage producers to protect the environment by improving soil, planting trees, conserving water and avoiding pesticides, while Fairtrade’s programmes include climate academies for farmers to share best practice. At the same time, Fairtrade makes training available to producers so that they can use the latest agricultural methods, such as intercropping and shade-grown coffee to adapt to conditions.
The FAIRTRADE Mark on a product means that the Fairtrade ingredients in that product have been independently verified by FLOCERT, an independent certifier accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). FLOCERT can and do suspend or, in some cases, even decertify Fairtrade producer organisations if their audit shows that Fairtrade Standards are not being complied with.