Around the world, small-scale farmers are increasingly being faced with the concurrent crises of COVID-19, climate change, and financial instability. It is therefore more vital than ever to achieve sustainable livelihoods among these vulnerable communities. For this reason, Fairtrade International sought to find out how its certification has contributed to producers' resilience in times of crisis. Researchers from Athena Infonomics and Scio Network GmbH & Co KG were tasked with evaluating the resilience of producer organizations using COVID-19 as a case study. The team analyzed evidence from literature reviews, global surveys, and country (commodity) case studies. This research was commissioned by Fairtrade International through funding from Germany's Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Switzerland's Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (SECO).

For more information on this project, contact Francis Xavier Rathinam.

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Photo source: Philipp Benedikt