Who We are

• Founded in 2005, Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK) is a small holder collective of 4000 farmers that commits to the justice tuned global market place Fair Trade cashews, coffee, spices, coconut oil and cocoa. Born at the peak of the agrarian crisis in Kerala, FTAK sought to use the enabling conditions of Fair Trade to engender sustainable livelihoods and responsible soil stewardship. We are located in the Northern Kerala hill tracts of the Western Ghats, a World Heritage site. A significant portion of the farmers also reside within the Nilgiri Biosphere, a global biodiversity hotspot. The environmental sensitivity of our farming operations is critical not just for our sustainable future but for the future of a climate challenged planet. Realising this, the organisation has been pursuing what it calls the Fair Trade+3 mandate, focusing on biodiversity, food security and gender justice. The flagship event of the organisation, the annual Seed Festival encapsulates these three themes and is recognised as the most important conservation festival of South India. In the decade and a half since its inception the organisation’s market interventions have been a critical factor in determining the regional market prices for the main commodities it deals in; the fallout of its impact therefore has positively affected the wider farming community, far beyond its membership reach. Organisationally, FTAK is structured in to neighbourhood collectives at the grassroots, village committees, district committees and the Central Committee with a governing board.

Certifications