Pro Fair Trade

TFT are supporting Pro Fair Trade to implement their Responsible Sourcing Policy for their raw materials inputs. The scope of this work with TFT includes Palm Oil from Cambodia and Ivory Coast, Coconut Oil from Mozambique and Ivory Coast and Sunflower Oil from Tanzania and Mozambique.

Objectives for 2015:

→ Support communication of PFT’s engagement with raw material suppliers:

Rationale: Communicating PFT’s activities on the ground in support of suppliers to meet their policy requirements had been overlooked in previous years and it was proposed in 2015 to address this aspect through a video case study of one of PFT’s suppliers.

Activity Progress:

• TFT carried out a field visit to PFT’s coconut oil supplier, HMA/PMCI, in Ivory Coast in June and presented the 15 minute video in November 2015. The video provides information of the engagement to date between all parties in terms of activities as well as the challenges, opportunities and next steps.
• In November 2015, TFT also produced a short trailer highlighting PFT’s engagement with SIPEF-CI, their PO supplier in Ivory Coast.

→ Conduct a field visit to PFT’s Mozambican sunflower oil supplier:

Rationale: To raise awareness of PFT’s sourcing policy and better understand what issues exist within their supply and where transformation is needed to meet PFT’s sourcing requirements.

Activity Progress:

• This activity has been postponed until the first half of 2016 due to logistical/resourcing reasons.

→ Conduct High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessment to PFT’s Cambodian Palm Oil supplier.

Rationale: PFT’s PO supplier in Cambodia is looking to expand their PO resource base around their Palm Oil Mil. Given PFT’s No-Deforestation commitment, the supplier is required to map out where HCS forest exists within their new planting areas so that these areas can be incorporated into land use planning and protected from development.

Activity Progress:

• TFT conducted field visits to Cambodia in March and May 2015, to ground truth the satellite image data of potential expansion areas as well as better understand the dynamics of land tenure to ensure local communities are considered within the company’s development plans. The land purchasing process is currently on-going and once finalised shall inform the next steps to be taken together by the company, PFT and TFT.

→ Support Ivorian Palm Oil supplier –SIPEF-CI – to meet PFT’s sourcing requirements

Rationale: Assist PFT’s palm oil supplier – SIPEF-CI – to implement an action plan to meet PFT’s requirements within their operations, particularly with respect to engaging smallholders.

Activity Progress:

• TFT has conducted field visits of 2-4 days each month to SIPEF-CI to support implementation of activities to initially achieve RSPO certification by March 2016. Particular issues addressed during the field visits include coordinating impact assessment activities, as well as adopting improved mill treatment facilities and engaging smallholders. On the latter, a three man team from TFT supported by PFT met with SIPEF-CI management and is being dispatched in the villages surrounding the concessions so as to start the Rurality Dynamic Diagnostic (RDD) in the spirit of TFT’s Rurality initiative – http://rurality.org/en/home/ .

→ Coconut, Sunflower, Palm Oil supplier follow up and monitoring

Rationale: TFT has conducted field visits to PFT’s raw material suppliers and where they have resulted in recommendations for further action, TFT shall follow up with PFT and suppliers to support and monitor implementation of the recommendations. This could be in the form of follow up calls, emails or field visits.

Activity Progress:

• Ongoing – TFT has been following up with PFT’s coconut, sunflower and palm oil suppliers throughout 2015 to address and support progress against the recommendations made. This has meant follow up field visits in instances where the need and resources – financial and staffing – allow, otherwise this is conducted by phone and email.

Follow up field visits/in person meetings:

• Palm Oil – SIPEF-CI (Ivory Coast) – see details of activities above
• Palm Oil Supplier (Cambodia) – see details of activities above
• Coconut Oil Supplier (Mozambique) – TFT conducted an initial field visit in May 2014, and a follow up visit was to be carried out in 2015, though this was postponed – see details above. A follow up meeting was held in December to go through progress and activities 2015.

Remote communications:

• Sunflower Oil Supplier (Tanzania) – TFT carried out an initial field visit in 2013 and followed up with a field visit in 2014. No visit was programmed in 2015, though discussions are ongoing over progress being made against the recommendations as well as exploring the potential for TFT’s Rurality initiative with smallholders.

TFT is in regular contact with PFT about the activities and based on those conducted in 2015, a work plan shall be drafted and agreed with PFT to address priority suppliers in 2016.

Given the prevalence of smallholders in PFT’s raw material supply chain TFT and PFT shall explore means to demonstrate and communicate the numbers of those involved, and how access to markets is helping to improve their livelihoods and rural development.