A collective of 4,500 farmers in India, known as Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK), have adopted a third way between the models of agribusiness and smallholding. FTAK was founded in 2013 by Kerala’s first organic store, Elements. In 2005, FTAK rejected the official Fairtrade label for the domestic Indian market in favour of a local vision with a focus on biodiversity, food security and gender justice. They now have a turnover of 350m rupees (about £3.5 million) and offer branded products such as coconut oil and cashew nuts. India’s burgeoning middle class provides a growing market and FTAK hopes to see at least 60% of what they grow sold domestically within the next 5 years. The emphasis is on moving away from development provided by foreign actors towards entrepreneurship and trade justice in global markets.
A collective of 4,500 farmers in India, known as Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK), have adopted a third way between the models of agribusiness and smallholding. FTAK was founded in 2005 by Kerala’s first organic store, Elements. In 2013, FTAK rejected the official Fairtrade label for the domestic Indian market in favour of a local vision with a focus on biodiversity, food security and gender justice. They now have a turnover of 350m rupees (about £3.5 million) and offer branded products such as coconut oil and cashew nuts. India’s burgeoning middle class provides a growing market and FTAK hopes to see at least 60% of what they grow sold domestically within the next 5 years. The emphasis is on moving away from development provided by foreign actors towards entrepreneurship and trade justice in global markets.