BONN, Germany - Due to the expanding consequences of climate change, a growing number of Fairtrade producer organisations have developed and implemented climate change adaptation plans to help strengthen production, according to a newly released Fairtrade study.

The study, titled “Exploratory Study into Climate Change Adaptation Plans and Measures in the Fairtrade System,” found that climate change adaptation plans have mostly been developed by coffee producers so far, representing 52 percent of the existing plans, likely because they became a core requirement in the 2022 update of Fairtrade Coffee Standard.

However, some cocoa, tea, banana, and sugar producer organisations have also developed their own plans to deal with higher temperatures, pests and disease, as well as droughts and water scarcity: for instance, 18 percent of plans were created by cocoa producers, and almost 8 percent by tea producers.

A total of 502 producer organisations developed climate change adaptation plans by the end of 2022, which is about a quarter of all Fairtrade certified producer organisations. And 96 percent of them had either fully implemented or partially implemented the plans through a number of actions on their farms. An analysis of a sub-set of the plans by the researchers showed that the vast majority of plans were of good or moderate quality, while 17 lacked contextual information and a clear link between climate threats and the selected adaptation measures.

In order to better understand how producers are using these plans, the researchers conducted an online survey of Fairtrade producer organisations in Africa and Latin America that had developed their plans. The researchers analysed responses from 37 producer organisations (about 10 percent of those sent the survey) and gathered data through interviews with producer organisation managers, as well as consultations with Fairtrade staff.

According to the survey and interviews, the process of developing climate change adaptation plans is helping to build farmer knowledge and awareness while also enabling them to take initial measures to strengthen production. The most common measures implemented include planting disease resistant varieties, pruning and shade management, improving soil health, efficient water use, and integrated pest management. These have been validated elsewhere as effective in increasing climate resilience, which the study highlights through a literature review.

Factors that most supported implementation were the provision of training to farmers on adaptation measures; sensitising farmers to the importance of climate change; access to technical and financial capacity; and the ability to invest in more expensive technologies or infrastructure.

Following the implementation of their plans, the surveyed producer organisations reported improved soil quality and soil health, reduced use of chemical fertilisers, increased crop yields, and enhanced resistance of crops to pests and disease.

The researchers suggested strengthening data collection and monitoring to be able to more systematically analyse the impact of the measures being adopted. For instance, each producer organisation should collect baseline data, and ongoing data collection systems and processes should be strengthened. Another recommendation from the researchers is that CCAPs should also take into account future climate scenarios. The existing adaption measures are currently focused on the farm level and appear to be supporting farmers to adapt to modest and intermediate impacts of climate change.  

Yet, as climate changes become more substantial, agricultural production could become more challenging or even unfeasible. Adapting to these impacts will require a broader set of measures, such as collective action between producer organisations to undertake more radical changes to their production systems and the institutions supporting them, the researchers said.

Importantly, the researchers pointed out that the adapting to climate change over the longer term will require continuous training and expert guidance, as well as access to finance, in order for farmers to invest more in “transformational” technological and infrastructure-related adaptation measures.

Learn more about Fairtrade’s work on climate here, and find the full study here.  

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