As the Fair Trade USA™ team steps into 2025, we do so with a deep sense of purpose and urgency. The challenges before us—biodiversity loss, climate impacts and migration, inequality, and the staggering number of farmers, fishers, and workers living in poverty—demand bold action.
Today, the headlines are stark. We’ve seen the highest warming on record, with global temperatures temporarily surpassing the 2.7°F threshold above pre-industrial levels. We’re also seeing the climate crisis impact communities around the globe. There are approximately 500 million smallholder farming households worldwide, encompassing around 2 billion people. Many of these households live on less than $2 per day. Working conditions and economic opportunities for rural and factory workers also urgently require significant improvement.
This is not fair, and it is unacceptable. The system that created these impacts is not written in stone—and it can be changed. In the face of these crises, we remain steadfast in our belief: small farmers, fishers, and workers are not just beneficiaries of change; they are the protagonists driving regeneration, resilience, poverty eradication and a more just economy. Our role is to stand beside these communities, empower them with support, market access and resources, amplify their voices, and accelerate solutions that create lasting impact.
2024 was a year of meaningful progress, and we’re proud of the strides that we made as an organization in key areas to advance the Fair Trade mission:
- Negocio comercial: crecer con nuevas alianzas clave en categorías empresariales mientras ayudamos a nuestra comunidad a aumentar su compromiso e impacto
- Enfoque en el personal: ampliamos nuestro equipo de líderes sénior para apoyar y expandir el apoyo a nuestros socios y productores
- Producer connections: helped producers navigate uncertainty and build supply chain resiliency with a focus on agency and community-led solutions.
- Tecnología digital: desarrollo de una herramienta de auditoría en línea y una interfaz para la inteligencia de la cadena de suministro
We are excited to build off of these gains into 2025 and beyond with a focus on regeneration, resiliency, uplifting worker voices, and making change where we are most effective. Our commitment extends far beyond certifying products—it’s about building a better world from the ground up. We’re constantly working to evolve the way we work to keep pace with our changing world, and to deliver on our promises to advance safe and ethical working conditions, sustainable livelihoods, high environmental standards, and community empowerment.
An African proverb states “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The world needs collective solutions, and in working together, we will form unlikely alliances to accelerate systems change. Let’s make this a year of bolder action, increased ambition, and unprecedented impact. And, crucially, let’s take care of ourselves and each other, and have fun doing it. Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to continuing our journey with all of you, from producer partners to business partners, donors, consumers, and all of our supporters.
Adelante, juntos. ¡Adelante!
Felipe Arango, Interim CEO at Fair Trade USA