Sustainable Development Goals and Fairtrade: the case for partnership

The Sustainable Development Goals — an ambitious set of 17 overarching global goals to combat poverty and achieve sustainable development — were adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015.

The goals set the ambition of ending poverty “in all its forms, everywhere”, while leaving no-one behind. 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 overarching SDG, Goal 1 – to end poverty in all its forms everywhere – is central to Fairtrade’s mission. All of our work stems from this overarching goal, as we seek to ensure trade fuels sustainable livelihoods for poor smallholders and workers.

Notably, of the targets underlying the goals that will determine the world’s action plan over the next fifteen years, there is barely a single one of the 169 different action points that isn’t somehow related to food and farming. This means that the SDGs will only be delivered successfully if these smallholder farmers and workers play a central role in planning and implementation.

But what does this need to look like on the ground? And how is Fairtrade playing its part in meeting the new goals?

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