ICA and Fairtrade International partner to advance sustainable development and cooperative empowerment
Areas of cooperation include promoting sustainable economic growth, enhancing producer engagement, and advancing key issues like climate resilience, youth and gender inclusion, as well as human rights
NEW DELHI, November 29, 2024 – The International Cooperative Alliance [ ICA ] and Fairtrade International have announced a new Joint Partnership Declaration, marking a commitment to deepen their collaboration in support of the cooperative model and Fairtrade worldwide.
The declaration underscores the shared mission of both organisations to uplift small-scale farmers, producers, and cooperative networks through joint efforts in advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and support for resilient, people-centered businesses. Areas of cooperation include promoting sustainable economic growth, enhancing producer engagement, and advancing key issues like climate resilience, youth and gender inclusion, as well as human rights.
Key initiatives under this partnership include; Joint advocacy efforts with European institutions and engagement with the global cooperative and Fairtrade communities; collaborative knowledge exchange, capacity building, and support for cooperative legal frameworks to bolster resilience within global supply chains; and coordinated efforts to raise awareness around the UN International Year of Cooperatives in 2025 and the annual International Day of Cooperatives.
“This declaration cements our joint efforts towards creating impactful change for cooperatives worldwide,” said Jeroen Douglas, Director General of ICA. “Together, ICA and Fairtrade International will drive forward initiatives that support cooperatives in their sustainable business case through fair pricing. Only a price tag on fair wages, clean water, gender inclusion and the pure air we breathe will transform our economy to the needs of communities.”
“Cooperatives are important to Fairtrade and Fairtrade is important to cooperatives,” said Tone Cecilie Faugli, the CEO of Fairtrade Norway at the ICA Global Conference in New Delhi, India. “As Fairtrade we have a role to play connecting consumers and cooperatives and I think we can achieve more together,” she added.
This declaration represents a non-binding agreement that will serve as a framework for joint planning. It will be revisited in four years to evaluate progress and determine further steps.
Meanwhile the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) from Liberia is the latest Associate Member to join the ICA.
CDA is a legal, technical, educational and administrative regulatory arm of the Government of Liberia responsible for all cooperative activities.
It supports cooperatives by facilitating the organisation of grassroots associations, farmers and non farmers organisations including women and youth groups into viable cooperative societies and apex organisations. It provides technical expertise (training, audit or cause), audits the financial records of cooperative societies to ensure human resource development and economic growth, and acts as a mediator between coops and their members, settling disputes to ensure a peaceful co-existence.
By joining the ICA, it aims to gain international recognition and foster institutional coordination and collaboration.
The ICA has now 308 member organisations from 106 countries, of which 269 are full members and 39 are associate members.
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