Co-op’s major efforts to support farmers at the front-line of the climate crisis has been recognised today (Thursday 5 October) after being named “Climate Leader” of the year.
The convenience retailer was awarded the prestigious title after investing over half a million-pound to help farmers in its supply chain in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Dominican Republic and Colombia to better mitigate against the impact of the climate crisis.
Co-op was recognised at the first Fairtrade Global Awards for its commitment to “innovate and generate impact to tackle the climate crisis”. The judging panel comprised of farmers, workers and representatives from the three Fairtrade producer regions of Africa, Latin America and Caribbean and Asia and the Pacific.
As part of Co-op’s Climate Plan, more than £500,000 has been invested so far by the retailer and its partner suppliers to help implement climate-smart farming techniques designed to strengthen and mitigate against climate shocks, crop diseases, the rising cost of living, food insecurity and natural disasters well as promote sustainable production and diversification.
Guy Stuart, director of technical, agriculture and sustainability at Co-op, said: “The climate emergency is as a humanitarian crisis as much as an environmental one. That’s why we put people at the heart of our plan, pledging to support producers on the front line of the climate crisis.
“Now more than ever, the challenges that are facing farmers are stark and we need co-operation at the heart of our collective responses to equip producers with the tools to sustain themselves and their communities for long-term food security. That’s why we continue to invest to support the climate adaptation and resilience of producers who are unproportionally impacted and we’re pioneering farmer-centric climate adaptation programmes with Fairtrade. We’re proud to have been awarded the Climate Leader award in the first ever Fairtrade Global Awards.”
Sandra Uwera, Fairtrade International Global CEO, said: “Businesses have the potential to be remarkable agents of positive change. At Fairtrade International, we’ve seen countless examples of companies going the extra mile to make a sustainable impact. With great pride, we announce the launch of new award categories, recognizing those businesses that are leading the way. Let us use their stories as a source of inspiration, a testament to what’s possible, and a call to action for others to follow suit in the pursuit of a more sustainable world.”
