Fairtrade India Cases

Cases – Fairtrade India

Chetna Organic Cotton

About:

The Chetna Organic cotton project was launched in 2004 to improve the livelihoods of small, marginalized Indian cotton farmers. Based on the integration of organic and FairTrade principles farmers are pledged

• To produce 100 percent organic and Fairtrade Certified cotton

• No child labours

• No synthetic pesticides and fertilizers

• No GMOs.

Furthermore, farmers have a direct role in decision-making throughout the production and selling processes. They are represented in two cooperatives: the Chetna Organic Farmers’ Association and the Chetna Organic Agriculture Producer Company which ensure project goals are met and benefits reach workers directly.

Garments manufactured from Chetna cotton are completely traceable to the farmers’ fields. Farmers are extensively trained in quality control and certification standards. The project has expanded from 240 farmers to 6,000+ farmers mainly from tribal belts in India in a span of 6 years.

Impact:

Almost all cotton produced is purchased by an organic and Fair Trade Certified factory called Rajalakshmi Cotton Mills Pvt. Ltd. which provides many benefits like creation of contracts from the beginning of the season, secure bank loans for farmers, access to pre-financing of up to 30% of cotton harvest, and participation in community development projects such as setting up schools in remote villages.

In the Keliveli village, located in the Akola district of Maharashtra, India, Fairtrade Premiums were used to improve quality of life of farmers and their families. Some of the projects undertaken under this initiative were:

• To construct a warehouse where cotton can be stored until low season when prices are higher as well as no fire hazard in their living spaces arising due to storing the cotton inside the homes due to lack of separate storage space that resulted in selling at high season which culminated in low profits.

• To clear thorny plants from an area where animals are grazed.

• To construct women’s restroom.

Sunstar Group of Organic Farmers

About:

Based in Kaithal, Haryana Sunstar Group of Organic Farmers have been a Fairtrade certified organisation since 2006.The producer group is organised into 12 village clubs, each of which has a President, treasurer and secretary. There is Producers Executive Body (PEB) elected by the members every three years for collaborative efforts on farming. The representatives from the respective village clubs along with development officer visit other members regularly to discuss problems and to provide farming related training & guidance on farming practices such as distribution of seeds and farming equipment. The farmers mainly plant rice and wheat crops annually:

Labour is a bit of a problem and farmers face difficultly getting workers during the peak seasons (harvesting, threshing and transplanting). Transplanting is a delicate process that is often done by hands due to high risk of the grain being broken/ damaged that might adversely affect the quality of the rice crop.

Impact:

Fairtrade premium has enabled the farmers:

• To invest in agricultural production, such as water pumps to improve irrigation

• To perform laser levelling, which helps to flatten the ground for cultivation, and to improve water supply.

• To build access roads for better transport to market.

• To collaborate and produce organic inputs that the farmers require for 100% organic production.

• For buying other agricultural implements which help the farmers improve their productivity.

• To support farmers to attend exhibitions or other meetings featuring farming best practices

• For free health check-ups in all villages

• (In the Naard village) To establish a computer centre for girls in the area, where a teacher paid for by the Fairtrade Premium, teaches