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Conference underscores India’s growing role in sustainable trade, with leaders highlighting:
EU–India partnership to align on climate-resilient and transparent supply chains.
Fashion and agriculture surge, with Fairtrade apparel sales doubling and farmers pioneering carbon-negative cotton.
Regulatory shifts, as EU due diligence and traceability rules create both risks and new market opportunities.
Decarbonisation in textiles, driven by cluster-level action, regenerative farming, and shared infrastructure.
Future growth pathway, dependent on government, business, and NGO partnerships to scale sustainable livelihoods.
The Fairtrade in India Conference 2025 – Sustainability, Markets & Impact concluded in Bengaluru with a clear message: sustainability must be mainstreamed into global trade, and producers must remain central to shaping the future of supply chains. Over two days, more than 250 stakeholders—including producers, policymakers, brands, and Fairtrade leaders—examined pathways to embed fairness, climate resilience, and transparency into global markets. The event was supported by the European Union’s SWITCH-Asia Programme and EC FFPA.
Opening the plenary, Franck Viault, Minister Counsellor, EU Delegation to India and Bhutan, underlined the strategic dimension of EU–India cooperation: “The future of trade must be sustainable, inclusive, and fair. Together, we can transform supply chains into engines of resilience, equity, and prosperity—ensuring producers are leaders in shaping sustainable growth.” Lisa Prassack, CEO of Fairtrade International, added that “the true measure of progress is when every farmer can sell 100% of their produce on fair terms. Producers must lead the transition to climate-resilient, fairer global markets.”
Industry leaders echoed the call for systemic change. Blaise Desbordes, CEO of Max Havelaar France, highlighted India’s role in building credible, traceable alternatives to exploitative trade, while Claudia Brück, MD, Fairtrade Germany, stressed that “economic success and social responsibility can reinforce one another.” Bindu S, CEO, Fairtrade NAPP, reinforced India’s leadership role: “India’s 100,000 Fairtrade farmers and workers are redefining sustainable trade. Fairtrade is not charity—it is justice, dignity, and partnership, and when producers are decision-makers, markets become future-ready and transformative.”
Textiles and apparel featured prominently, with a session on decarbonisation showcasing how industry clusters like Tirupur are driving sustainability. Prarthana Bora, Momentum India, said: “Decarbonisation is urgent—collaboration is the only way to make the transition just and equitable.” Farmers brought the ground-level perspective, with Nandakumar Rajagopalan of Chetna Organic noting that regenerative practices such as biochar and tree belts are “the backbone of climate-proof agriculture.”
The debate on EU sustainability regulations reflected both opportunity and concern. Jorge Conesa of the FairTrade Advocacy Office pointed out that while compliance increases costs, “producers who adapt can build stronger trust and market advantage.” Franck Viault added that regulations should be seen not as barriers but as pathways to future-ready trade.
Fashion brands Being Human and Indian Terrain presented their Fairtrade journeys, underscoring that style and sustainability must go hand-in-hand. Vivek Sandhwar, COO, Being Human, observed that “Gen Z and Gen Alpha demand both ethics and transparency in fashion,” while Indian Terrain’s CEO, Charath Narasimhan, said Fairtrade must become “the ‘Intel Inside’ of sustainability—a trusted assurance consumers actively seek.”
Sustainable livelihoods remained a cross-cutting theme. Shilajit Roy of United Nilgiris Tea Estates shared how premiums are reinvested in healthcare and education, while Krishnendu Chatterjee of Nature Bio Foods argued that India itself must emerge as a Fairtrade market, linking every product to a tangible impact story. Pravakar Meher, Chairman of Fairtrade NAPP, added: “Fairtrade premiums are vital, but not enough. We need business, government, and NGOs to partner in scaling renewable energy, resilient farming, and quality training.”
Day Two spotlighted climate action, with producers showcasing innovations from tea to cotton. Indranil Ghosh of Chamong Group outlined investments in LPG, solar, hydro and biochar across tea estates, while Avinash Karmakar of Pratibha Vasudha Jaivik Krishi Kalyan Samiti showed how regenerative practices and non-GM seeds are turning cotton carbon negative. Amit Singh of Nature Bio Foods described climate-smart practices like laser land levelling and carbon sequestration as “win-win solutions for farmers, markets, and the planet.” From Kerala, Sreekumar of Manarcadu Social Service Society highlighted how communities recovering from the 2018 floods are now pioneering biochar, water conservation, and digital farm mapping.
.jpeg)
Conference underscores India’s growing role in sustainable trade, with leaders highlighting:
EU–India partnership to align on climate-resilient and transparent supply chains.
Fashion and agriculture surge, with Fairtrade apparel sales doubling and farmers pioneering carbon-negative cotton.
Regulatory shifts, as EU due diligence and traceability rules create both risks and new market opportunities.
Decarbonisation in textiles, driven by cluster-level action, regenerative farming, and shared infrastructure.
Future growth pathway, dependent on government, business, and NGO partnerships to scale sustainable livelihoods.
The Fairtrade in India Conference 2025 – Sustainability, Markets & Impact concluded in Bengaluru with a clear message: sustainability must be mainstreamed into global trade, and producers must remain central to shaping the future of supply chains. Over two days, more than 250 stakeholders—including producers, policymakers, brands, and Fairtrade leaders—examined pathways to embed fairness, climate resilience, and transparency into global markets. The event was supported by the European Union’s SWITCH-Asia Programme and EC FFPA.
Opening the plenary, Franck Viault, Minister Counsellor, EU Delegation to India and Bhutan, underlined the strategic dimension of EU–India cooperation: “The future of trade must be sustainable, inclusive, and fair. Together, we can transform supply chains into engines of resilience, equity, and prosperity—ensuring producers are leaders in shaping sustainable growth.” Lisa Prassack, CEO of Fairtrade International, added that “the true measure of progress is when every farmer can sell 100% of their produce on fair terms. Producers must lead the transition to climate-resilient, fairer global markets.”
Industry leaders echoed the call for systemic change. Blaise Desbordes, CEO of Max Havelaar France, highlighted India’s role in building credible, traceable alternatives to exploitative trade, while Claudia Brück, MD, Fairtrade Germany, stressed that “economic success and social responsibility can reinforce one another.” Bindu S, CEO, Fairtrade NAPP, reinforced India’s leadership role: “India’s 100,000 Fairtrade farmers and workers are redefining sustainable trade. Fairtrade is not charity—it is justice, dignity, and partnership, and when producers are decision-makers, markets become future-ready and transformative.”
Textiles and apparel featured prominently, with a session on decarbonisation showcasing how industry clusters like Tirupur are driving sustainability. Prarthana Bora, Momentum India, said: “Decarbonisation is urgent—collaboration is the only way to make the transition just and equitable.” Farmers brought the ground-level perspective, with Nandakumar Rajagopalan of Chetna Organic noting that regenerative practices such as biochar and tree belts are “the backbone of climate-proof agriculture.”
The debate on EU sustainability regulations reflected both opportunity and concern. Jorge Conesa of the FairTrade Advocacy Office pointed out that while compliance increases costs, “producers who adapt can build stronger trust and market advantage.” Franck Viault added that regulations should be seen not as barriers but as pathways to future-ready trade.
Fashion brands Being Human and Indian Terrain presented their Fairtrade journeys, underscoring that style and sustainability must go hand-in-hand. Vivek Sandhwar, COO, Being Human, observed that “Gen Z and Gen Alpha demand both ethics and transparency in fashion,” while Indian Terrain’s CEO, Charath Narasimhan, said Fairtrade must become “the ‘Intel Inside’ of sustainability—a trusted assurance consumers actively seek.”
Sustainable livelihoods remained a cross-cutting theme. Shilajit Roy of United Nilgiris Tea Estates shared how premiums are reinvested in healthcare and education, while Krishnendu Chatterjee of Nature Bio Foods argued that India itself must emerge as a Fairtrade market, linking every product to a tangible impact story. Pravakar Meher, Chairman of Fairtrade NAPP, added: “Fairtrade premiums are vital, but not enough. We need business, government, and NGOs to partner in scaling renewable energy, resilient farming, and quality training.”
Day Two spotlighted climate action, with producers showcasing innovations from tea to cotton. Indranil Ghosh of Chamong Group outlined investments in LPG, solar, hydro and biochar across tea estates, while Avinash Karmakar of Pratibha Vasudha Jaivik Krishi Kalyan Samiti showed how regenerative practices and non-GM seeds are turning cotton carbon negative. Amit Singh of Nature Bio Foods described climate-smart practices like laser land levelling and carbon sequestration as “win-win solutions for farmers, markets, and the planet.” From Kerala, Sreekumar of Manarcadu Social Service Society highlighted how communities recovering from the 2018 floods are now pioneering biochar, water conservation, and digital farm mapping.
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