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Showing posts tagged “cop18”

Another climate conference ends - what results for smallholders?

I travelled to Doha with Fairtrade producer representatives from four different regions, all struggling with climate change on a daily basis. For them, the lack of progress at this year’s talks was bemusing, and frustrating.

“I am disappointed because we have put so much hope in finance and they are not making a decision, said Chief Adam Tampuri, a cashew nut producer and Chair of Fairtrade Africa. “I am surprised that the countries who have often helped us in times of disaster and famine are still hesitating to make finance for climate adaptation available. Surely we need to be engaging in preventative measures, instead of reacting when the damage is done?”

On a political level, little came out of the Doha talks to offer farmers or developing countries any cheer. There were no commitments from developed countries to cut their emissions further. There is still no significant money being put on the table to help developing countries adapt (despite a target of $100 billion a year by 2020). Even the impassioned plea of the Philippines negotiator, made as his country was battered by the umpteenth typhoon this year, did not lead to a shift in mind-set.

But away from the disappointment of the negotiations, there are many initiatives that give cause for hope.


At side events, in interviews and at round-table discussions, Fairtrade producers brought their real-life climate change experiences to the table. Tomy Mathew explained how fair prices for a whole range of Fairtrade products mean that farmers diversify, protecting variety and increasing their resilience to climate change. Carlos Vargas spoke passionately about the huge potential for hydroelectricity on coffee farms in Costa Rica, and his dream of making them all energy self-sufficient. Chief Adam shared the indigenous methods his cashew farmers are using to adapt to climate change. Each has a vision for their community and country. Each of them is connected to thousands of farmers and people in their villages and in their communities. If they just had some more cash and technical assistance they would implement measures in a shot. 

Our new collaboration with The Gold Standard Foundation will give these producers welcome opportunities to benefit from the carbon market, and access finance that will help them carry out more carbon mitigation projects. We also secured backing from a group of European politicians in our call for more adaptation funds for smallholders.

And though this COP is over, our engagement certainly isn’t. We will continue to lobby governments, seek adaptation and mitigation finance and support our farmers in the fight against climate change.

Vicky Pauschert works in the communications department at Fairtrade International.

See more photos, posts and videos of Fairtrade’s activities at COP18

Progress is incredibly slow at the UN climate talks right now. Smallholder farmers don’t have time to wait - they have to act now to secure their livelihoods. Tomy Mathew of Fair Trade Alliance Kerala in India explains how Fairtrade helps farmers to deal with climate change.

Fairtrade farmers in Kerala are growing a diverse array of spices, coffee and coconuts all on the same small farm, ensuring that they are more resilient to the effects of the changing climate.

Fairtrade producers interviewed at UN climate talks

Nasser Abufarha, of Canaan Fair Trade describes how climate change is worsening the situation for Palestine’s already vulnerable olive oil and almond farmers.

Fungus diseases and extremely hot summer temperatures meant the olive harvest this year dropped by 50%.

Can Fairtrade support these farmers in situations like this? Watch this video and find out!

This interview is one of a series carried out with Fairtrade producers at the UN climate change talks (COP18). More to come in the next few days!

Fairtrade producer representatives met European parliamentarians at the climate change convention in Doha yesterday, and urged them to get the voice of small farmers heard in the climate change talks before time runs out.

Tomy Mathew, Chief Adam Tampuri and Noel Oettle told MEPs: we are bitterly disappointed that agriculture has been taken off the UNFCCC agenda and that small farmers’ concerns are being largely ignored. Funding has to be made available so producers can take action fast to deal with the effects of climate change – not just at UNFCCC level, but also in the current EU budget planning for 2014-20. If leaders are serious about tackling poverty and food security, they have to address climate change too.

The message came across loud and clear- The MEPs present gave Fairtrade producers their wholehearted support and want to take the issue to their fellow parliamentarians and support the small farmer cause. Let’s hope the message really gets through to the rest of the European delegation, and to the COP18 negotiating table!

Read more of our posts from the COP18 climate change talks here.

I dream of a reality that in ten years’ time I will see a spectacular beautiful healthy forest. And perhaps this will be an example to other places.

Pablo Roma, living in Choco village, a Fairtrade coffee growing community in Peru

Thanks to a partnership with 100% Fair Trade organization Cafédirect, these villagers are planting trees, reforesting their area and earning carbon credits in the process – vital cash to carry out more projects. Watch the full story in this fantastic Cafédirect video.

We hope our new collaboration with carbon credit certifier, The Gold Standard Foundation, will make lots of projects similar to this possible in future!

Fairtrade farmer and Chair of Fairtrade Africa, Chief Adam Tampuri speaking at a COP18 side event. In my village we are feeling the effects of the changing climate. We are seeing strange pests we have never seen before. Just before I came here I lost 50 cashew trees on my farm due to storms, and there is more flooding throughout the year.  We used part of our Fairtrade Premium to embark on some adaptation projects such as acquiring drought resistant seedlings and renovating our houses and roofs to deal with the deluge of rainwater. We have come so far and implemented so much in our village since we became Fairtrade certified.  We don’t want to see it all washed away by the rain. At COP18, Fairtrade producers are calling on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure the most vulnerable get the support and finance they desperately need to adapt to the growing impact of climate change on their farms and communities. Read their statement here

Fairtrade farmer and Chair of Fairtrade Africa, Chief Adam Tampuri speaking at a COP18 side event.

In my village we are feeling the effects of the changing climate. We are seeing strange pests we have never seen before. Just before I came here I lost 50 cashew trees on my farm due to storms, and there is more flooding throughout the year.  We used part of our Fairtrade Premium to embark on some adaptation projects such as acquiring drought resistant seedlings and renovating our houses and roofs to deal with the deluge of rainwater. We have come so far and implemented so much in our village since we became Fairtrade certified.  We don’t want to see it all washed away by the rain.

At COP18, Fairtrade producers are calling on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure the most vulnerable get the support and finance they desperately need to adapt to the growing impact of climate change on their farms and communities. Read their statement here

We are doing all we can to deal with the impact of climate change on our very livelihoods. We have planted shade trees to create buffer zones to deal with extreme temperatures and drought. We are applying indigenous methods…We have been able to set up cook stoves that help us save wood, and solar lighting for our communities. But all these things cost money, and need technical expertise. And as the most vulnerable, our efforts to address climate change as well as our demands for support remain largely unheard.

On the eve of COP18, Fairtrade producers networks call for more support to adapt to the very real effects of climate change on their livelihoods.

Read the full statement here.

A delegation of Fairtrade producers and staff are heading to Doha for the climate change conference to make farmers’ voices heard in the debate. See an overview of our events, and join us there!

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