Supporting farming communities through Fairtrade partnerships

As Greggs marks 20 years of sourcing Fairtrade coffee, our long-standing partnership continues to support farmers in responding to the growing challenges of climate change.

At the heart of Fairtrade is the Fairtrade Premium – an additional sum earned by farmers and workers, which they can choose to invest in priorities that strengthen environmental resilience and sustainable farming practices.

In Colombia, farmers at the Manizales co-operative are experiencing increasingly volatile weather, with changing rainfall patterns affecting harvests and crop quality. Fairtrade Premium funding has supported practical, locally led solutions – including solar-powered coffee dryers that enable beans to be dried more efficiently during periods of heavy rain, helping to reduce losses and maintain quality.

Alongside this, initiatives to maintain healthy crops, reduce the spread of disease and improve day-to-day farm management are supporting farmers to adapt to longer-term environmental pressures.

These investments play an important role in supporting farmers to respond to climate risks, protect productivity and build more resilient farming systems over time.

Since 2006, Greggs Fairtrade sourcing has generated over £12 million in Fairtrade Premium, supporting farmers and producers to invest in their farms, strengthen environmental resilience and contribute to more sustainable supply chains for the future.