A decent standard of living – one that covers basic needs and supports an existence worthy of human dignity – is a human right. But small-scale farmers and agricultural workers – despite growing the crops that drive supply chains worth billions on the global market – too often live in poverty.
Cheap food comes at a cost: the exploitation of farmers and workers at the start of the supply chain. Out of the 736 million people living in extreme poverty worldwide, about 80 percent live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for survival.
It is unacceptable – and unsustainable – that the people who grow and harvest much of the world’s food do not get paid enough to make a decent living.
Farmers who own their own land face different challenges than agricultural workers working on someone else’s land.
A farmer’s income has to cover her farming expenses before she can bring any money home to support household needs. In conventional trade, farmers have virtually no power to set sustainable prices, and a bad season can mean no income at all.
In contrast, hired workers in agriculture are paid a wage and may receive other benefits like housing, but often have little job security, face poor living and working conditions, and are at risk of exploitation by their employers.
In both scenarios, many young people see their parents’ struggles and are forced to leave their land in hopes of securing a better future.
The good news is that most shoppers don’t want their enjoyment of food and everyday luxuries like coffee and chocolate to come at the expense of farmers and workers living in poverty. For instance, a recent study found that workers being paid a living wage is a top sustainability priority for consumers, and more than 8 out of 10 shoppers want brands to take action on global poverty.
The pathways to a decent living will be different for farmers and workers.
This is why we have developed two strategies: one for living income for small-scale farmers and one for living wage for hired workers.
There is much more work to be done. Here are some of the ways Fairtrade contributes to a decent living:
Our work towards decent incomes for small scale farmers and workers contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 (no poverty) and SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 8 (decent work), and SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production).
The ability to earn a decent living offers the next generation of farmers and workers a sustainable future. It will require everyone playing their part – including shoppers choosing to stand up for farmer and worker livelihoods. Decent work and a decent living – it’s not too much to ask, right?
Fairtrade International’s Senior Advisor for Sustainable Livelihoods demystifies the concept of a Living Income Reference Price, and debunks some common myths.
Cocoa farmers who were paid a living income reference price earned on average about 15 percent more compared to government regulated farmgate prices, according to a new report ...