CLAC – Presentation Brussels June 2016

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC´s Mission:

• Since its creation in 1996, CLAC represents

democratically organized small producer and

worker organizations under the principles and

values of Fair Trade in Latin America and the

Caribbean.

• CLAC provides assistance to producers and

workers; promotes the Fairtrade products and

values and influences social, political and

economic policies.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanSome facts & figures:

• CLAC is a network of over 700 Producer Organizations, representing over

300.000 farmers and workers families

• It represents over 900.000 hectares of cultivated land with Fairtrade certified

products

• 2015 Fairtrade Sales Revenue of 700 million USD, representing over 60% of

all Fairtrade sales, main products : Coffee, Bananas, Cocoa, Sugar and

Honey

• CLAC is present in 24 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and is

co-owner of the Fairtrade system

Presenting CLAC

CLAC Staff

Coffee Production & market

+ 4

+ 3

EL SALVADOR

+ 4

+ 5

Cocoa Production & market

Banana Production & market

Sugar Production & market

+ 2

Honey Production & market

Gender & Youth Inclusion

24 countries…730 Fairtrade

Organizations of Producers and Workers

Climate Change Program

Social Compliance

50 people acrossthe continentfor technical

assistance to the member

organizations and their networks

CLAC´s Staff :

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the Caribbean

Presenting CLAC

CLAC Areas of Work:

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to reduce poverty via:

Organized farmers and Trade:

Through their own producer organisations, legally

established, but also through Country Networks at

national level and Product Networks at International

level and CLAC agglomerates them all. This level of

organization leads to both individual as collective

empowerment. Organized farmers are able to

collectively face social, economic and environmental

challenges and work towards sustainability.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC

Platforms

Country Networks

International Board of 15 people,

representing Regions, Products and Type of

members (small producers and

workers)

At country level:

For decision taking,

consultation and

representation

CLAC´s Coordinating Platforms

CLAC

Platforms

At

inte

rnat

ion

alle

vel:

ProductNetworks & WorkersNetwork

CLAC Coffee Network

CLAC´s Coordinating Platforms

CLAC

Platforms

At

inte

rnat

ion

alle

vel:

ProductNetworks & WorkersNetwork

CLAC Banana Network

CLAC´s Coordinating Platforms

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to reduce hunger via:

Direct Access to Market and

improved terms of Trade:

By ensuring a direct access to the market and in

particular markets that provide better conditions, as

does Fairtrade with a set minimum price, a premium

payment for social, environmental or economic

development and by facilitating long term trading

relationships with possibilities of pre-finance.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to reduce hunger via:

Biodiversity and Food sovereignty:

As part of the Fair Trade and Cooperative Principles,

respect for the environment is expressed in the

Producer organisations via high bio-diverse

intercropping methods, ensuring not only increased

Climate Change Resilience, but also increased Food

Sovereignty for the farmers, their families and

surrounding communities. Farmers spend 60-70% of

their family income on food.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanAn example of our work

Within the area of access to new

markets and increased Food

Sovereignty, we have just

launched a Challenge to invite

Producer Organisations to share

their experiences in added value

to their products.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to increase Gender

Equity via:

Implementing our Gender Policy:

CLAC as a Network has recently approved its own

Gender Policy, which is being implemented and

promoted in all its Country Networks, seeking to

increase Gender Balance by working with both men and

women around this topic.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanAn example of our work in Gender:

CLAC has developed a

Leadership School for Women

with partners in El Salvador to

increase womens voice and

participation.

This experience has been very

successful and systematized in

order to allow for replication in

other countries.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to reduce inequalities via:

Involving and favoring minority groups:

Minority Products and Regions within CLAC have equal

participation. Also we are in the process to work together

with our youth representatives on a Youth Inclusion

Policy, as this is a mayor objective in particular in Family

Agriculture. Indigenous people and producer

organisations are visualized via CLAC´s Advocacy work.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the Caribbean

An example in Youth Inclusion:

Presenting CLAC

CLAC invited youth from all our 24

countries to come together to

provide inputs into our Youth

Inclusion Policy which will be

developed this year. The voice

from youth will be crucial for this

Policy.

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanCLAC seeks to increase Climate

Change Resilience via:

Our Climate Change Programme:

Climate Change is a devastating reality for all our

farmers and therefore high emphasis is given to Climate

Change Resilience activities. We have developed a

detailed Climate Change Programme, which can be

applied to all countries and all products and are

currently looking for partners and funding opportunities

to scale up its implementation.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanAn example of our work in Climate

Change Resilience:

A small scale but highly

successful and intensive

Productivity Program in

bananas has the aim to ensure

increased soil fertility and

decrease production costs by

using natural resources to

increase productivity.

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanSome of our current partners:

Presenting CLAC

CLAC – The Fairtrade Producer Network of Latin

America and the CaribbeanChallenges to be addressed together

with Partners:

• Increased market sales under Fairtrade Conditions

• Increased long term investments in Climate Change Resilience for Family Agriculture

• Increased investments and collaboration in Human Rights Assurance and reduced inequalities

• Increased collaboration to work towards living income and living wage levels

• Increased partnerships to work together on the accomplishment of all these goals

Presenting CLAC

Thank you !