Build Back Fairer

A civil society alliance, including Fairtrade, IFOAM Organics and others, has published a “Build Back Fairer” statement in response to Covid-19. The statement, which calls for a transformation of the economy and trade system for a just and sustainable recovery, is available in several languages here.

The statement points out that the current crisis has shown us not only how interdependent we all are, but also how the destruction of nature, deforestation, climate and health crises are all interrelated, sharing the exploitation of people and planet as a common root cause.

“Despite this, some companies have taken short-term measures to protect their own interests while jeopardising the human rights of those in their supply chains: for example cancelling orders, while at the same time paying large dividends to their shareholders and claiming government bailouts. […] Returning to “business as usual” after the pandemic would reinforce the inequalities and unsustainability of our current system. Instead, a transformation of the economy and the governance of global supply chains is needed, not only in the interest of small producers and farmers, but also in the interest of present and future generations.”