The climate crisis is no longer a distant warning – it’s here, disrupting lives and livelihoods across the world.
For smallholder farmers and artisans in the Global South, the effects are already devastating: unpredictable seasons, droughts, floods, and the loss of raw materials that underpin both farming and craft production.
Scottish Fair Trade’s new report, ‘Climate, Environment & Fair Trade – Making the Connection’, explores how Fair Trade producers are adapting to these challenges and leading the way in climate solutions. The research shows that climate justice and trade justice are inseparable. Without fairer trading structures, producers will lack the resources and partnerships they need to adapt and thrive.
Fair Trade: A Framework for Climate Action
Fair Trade has always been about more than fair prices. It’s a model of long-term, values-driven partnerships that empower communities to invest in resilience and environmental protection. Across the case studies in our report, we see producers taking action:
- In Uganda, artisans are turning banana waste into sustainable fibres.
- In Kenya, Fairtrade coffee cooperatives are planting shade trees and investing in solar dryers.
- In Nepal, a Fair Trade paper enterprise plants trees for every tonne it exports.
- In Kenya, women-led Meru Herbs is harvesting rainwater and switching to solar power.
These are powerful, practical examples of how Fair Trade transforms good intentions into lasting change.
But producers can’t do it alone
Despite their innovation, many producers face barriers: limited resources, volatile markets, and growing compliance costs for new environmental regulations. If we are serious about climate justice, governments must recognise Fair Trade as a strategic tool for climate action, not a niche consumer choice.
We’re calling on policymakers to:
- Embed Fair Trade principles in climate and trade policy.
- Expand Fair Trade procurement across the public sector.
- Ensure funding reaches the producers already leading climate solutions.
Join us: Fair Trade at Scotland’s Climate March
On Friday 15 November, Scottish Fair Trade will join the Glasgow Climate March under the banner “No Climate Justice Without Trade Justice.” We’ll be marching alongside campaigners, community groups, and Fair Trade supporters to call for a fairer, greener economy that puts people and planet first.
Bring your Fair Trade placards, wear your badges, and march with us as part of the Fair Trade bloc to show that Fair Trade is climate action in practice.
