Fairtrade and fair miles

1. Fairtrade and fair miles Barbara Crowther Director of Communications and Policy Fairtrade Foundation Ian Bretman Executive Vice Chair Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International

3. Why climate change is an issue for the Fairtrade movement • Stark new expression of global inequality. • Of 300,000 deaths each year from climate change, 99% in developing countries. Their contribution to climate change? 2%. • It’s real and happening right now. • Fairtradeproducers on the front line.

4. Willington Wamayeye, Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative, Uganda:

5. Cashew farmers’ trees now flowering out of season Pineapple growers had no rain July 09 to Feb 2010

6. 2009 Fairtrade Africa survey of nearly 700 shea butter farmers in northern Ghana and Burkina Faso • 100% said temperatures and rainfall patterns were changing: hotter, drier and less predictable • 98% say climate change affecting planting cycles • 95% said harvest levels were falling, 99% said shea nuts were less plentiful • Farmers testing early harvest varieties, switching crops, planting later, planting more often. Many have stopped planting maize, rice and other food crops • Farmers trying to improve fertilisers, composting, tree planting

7. Poor farmers are adaptable, however • Rural areas often lack insurance, credit, access to finance • There is always a cost associated with a switch to different farming practices • Poorer farmers less able to accept risk, so diversify towards less risky, and less profitable activities • 83% of Fairtrade • producers told • FLO-CERT they can’t • afford adaptation • or mitigation measures

8. The vast majority of Fairtrade Products are transported to the UK by Ship • 90% of all Africa’s exports of fruit and vegetables travel by ship, the • lowest per tonne impact of any transport mode • Air freight accounts for only 0.3% of total UK greenhouse emissions • A product‘s total life-cycle emissions include much more than the • transport stage • 93% of carbon emissions from a cup of tea direct = boiling the kettle!

9. What does matter? • Finding some win-wins – reduction of carbon emissions in supply chains through eg. supporting producers to access modern and low-carbon technologies • But that’s not enough: • Supporting producers to adapt to the impacts of climate change • Ensuring that the global response to climate change is fair and works for those that are most vulnerable • Ensuring people in the UK understand the reality of climate change

10. Stable price and Fairtrade premium already allows producers to invest in diversifying and strengthening their business. • Setting up micro finance schemes using the Fairtrade premium. • Producer groups • have used their • Fairtrade premium in • ways that reduce • carbon emissions and • make them less • vulnerable to future • energy price rises.

11. Case study: Kenyan flowers

13. Over to you... • We would like to incorporate your ideas to support local campaign groups combine Fairtrade and local produce in their activities, and put Fairtrade at the heart of our sustainable consumption. • There are three group discussion/activity sheets following on from this presentation we would very much welcome your feedback on and would form a nice group activity for any steering group meeting or local event! • They are available with this presentation, or by emailing adam.gardner@fairtrade.org.uk. • Thanks in advance for your help developing the role of Fairtrade in this crucial subject, and in turn supporting marginalised producer communities facing the effects of climate change today.