Fairtrade and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty “in all its forms, everywhere”, while leaving no one behind. This ambition is central to Fairtrade’s mission.

Woman from the Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA) cooperative in Honduras
Woman from the Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA) cooperative in Honduras

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 – are an ambitious set of 17 overarching global goals to combat poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030. Covering topics from gender equality to climate change, and education to clean drinking water, they represent a powerful opportunity to improve the lives of the 1.3 billion small scale farmers and agricultural workers upon whom the world depends to produce our food and protect our planet.

The ambition is laudable, but there is still a long way to go to achieve many of the goals. Despite progress, more than 780 million people live below the international poverty line. Worldwide, 160 million children are still involved in child labour. And climate change threatens to reverse progress on all levels. What’s more, the goals only provide a framework. It’s up to governments but also businesses and civil society to take action to ensure they are achieved.

How Fairtrade contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals

There is a large amount of cross-over between the SDGs and Fairtrade’s work. In fact, of the 169 targets underlying the goals, there is barely a single one that isn’t somehow related to food and farming. This means that smallholder farmers and workers have a central role to play.

While Fairtrade has a direct and indirect impact in all 17 goals, we have prioritised twelve goals which are most closely linked to our work.

By aligning our indicators with the SDGs, we unite our actions to a global movement that directly addresses inequality, and social and environmental justice.

Our alignment - goal by goal

  • Goal 1: No poverty

  • Goal 2: Zero hunger

  • Goal 4: Quality education

  • Goal 5: Gender equality

  • Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

  • Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

  • Goal 10: Reduced inequalities

  • Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

  • Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

  • Goal 13: Climate action

  • Goal 15: Life on land

  • Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals

Fairtrade is one way for producers, companies and citizens to contribute to progress on many of the SDGs. With the clock ticking to 2030, there’s no time to waste in taking up our collective responsibility for a sustainable world.