Working together to fight climate change

Fighting poverty and protecting the environment go hand-in-hand - that's why the theme of this year's World Fair Trade day is so important.

There are no livelihoods more threatened by climate change today than those of rural, small holder farmers in developing countries. From unpredictable storms and hurricanes in Latin America to droughts and floods in Africa, our grower partners are regularly experiencing the devastating effects of a rapidly changing environment.

“The rains are now erratic, the season cycles are changing ? cycles that we rely on for food and to earn a decent living,” said Andrew Kobia Ethuru, Tea farmer and Chairman of the Fairtrade Premium Committee, Michimikuru Tea Factory (Michimikuru Tea Factory is owned by the 9,000 tea farmers who supply it), one of our Kenyan tea partners. “Freak storms are wrecking havoc; severe winds have destroyed homes, buildings, and crops. On my farm I have had tea bushes burnt by lightening in 30 years of farming I have never seen this happen. Rising temperatures also means we have malaria in regions that have never suffered from it before.”

“To survive we need resources and support. That’s why our partnership with Cafédirect is so important. No one else wanted to help us, but now together we are fighting the challenges we face… In this world we are all connected to one another. Climate change is a global problem, so we must work together to fight it.”

Cafédirect works with 39 grower organisations across 13 developing countries, positively impacting the lives of more than 1.4 million people. Growers are at the heart of all we do, and so it’s not surprising that Cafédirect is pioneering work to help small farmers adapt to the rapidly changing climate. We’ve teamed up with the German Technical Cooperation on a long-term project to help growers adapt to regionally specific challenges of climate change

The project, Adaptation for Smallholder Farmers to Climate Change (www.adapcc.org), will develop practical capabilities for coping with the impacts and risks of climate change and will improve farmers’ access to financial and technical support.

So, what can you do to show your support on World Fair Trade Day? It’s as easy as A, B, C…….
A - Ask for Cafédirect to be stocked by your retailers
B - Boil better - as drinkers of hot drinks, the biggest impact you can have is to ONLY BOIL THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU NEED when you're putting on the kettle.
C - Choose Cafédirect products, and join our network of Friends www.cafedirect.co.uk.