MILAN, Italy – Having gathered at the XII General Assembly, on January 17/18 and February 21/22, 2024, the representatives of the SPP Global intercontinental network of Small Producers’ Organizations, representing about 100,000 families (500,000 people) organized into 129 small agricultural producers’ organizations from 28 countries in Latin America-the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, as well as the representatives of their business partners from more than 60 companies and cooperatives from a dozen countries in Europe, North America, and Latin America, declare the following:
The SPP Small Producers and Fair Trade initiative has proven to be effective and more necessary than ever so that Small Producer families have the future prospects they deserve, just like any other human being who is productive in terms of labor and economy.
As for the XII General Assembly, SPP wished to focus the reflections on the following 5 key points:
- After a slight downturn caused by the pandemic, towards mid-2022 SPPÂ experienced a strong 17% growth in the market value of SPP products when compared to the same period in
However, at the end of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023, the energy price crisis in Europe caused European consumers to, for the first time in history, reduce their consumption of organic and Fair Trade products, giving priority to basic needs.
This had a strong impact on several markets such as the organic and fair trade coffee market, causing SPP sales to drop over the course of 2023.
However, SPP observed that a growth rate of about 15% occurred by mid-2023, which made them feel very optimistic.
- SPP celebrates that in mid-2023 they managed to get SPP Global to establish a significant increase in minimum prices for coffee – from $2.20 US to $2.52 US in the case of washed Arabica coffee – sitting above the prices of other fair trade In this way, SPP contributes to covering the actual costs of quality organic production and can continue to generate Living Income for small producer families.
- On the other hand, in this XII General Assembly, SPP Global has managed to approve its new SPP Environmental Standard, following a five-year project involving research, consultation and development: with this, SPP is incorporating into its regulations not only the main criteria of the different organic regulations, but also criteria and principles pertaining to Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture.
The Small Producers’ Organizations, the companies and the commercial cooperatives that make up the big SPP family have always stood out for having a strong commitment towards peasant agriculture, i.e., agriculture that is based on polyculture fundamentals and seeks to protect biodiversity and groundwater, all while regenerating soils and protecting forests.
The SPP partners have been forerunners speaking of the principles that have recently led the European Community to adopt their Law Against Deforestation (EUDR). With the new SPP Environmental Standard, SPP Global reiterates its commitment regarding that same purpose, but based on the realities of small producer families.
- This last year, SPP Global has achieved to have 13 new commercial partners join as members, most of them from Spain and France, a country that continues to be the SPP market par excellence.
In addition, there are advanced negotiations with various emblematic companies in different countries and continents concerning different products (coffee, cocoa, fruits, nuts, etc.); SPP hopes the outcome of these will help them give an important boost to the SPP market in 2024, so that they’re able to consolidate and expand the SPP trade’s impacts on more and more families of Small Producers in the global South.
SPP also found that several of our current SPP business partners are steadily increasing the diversity and volumes of SPP products they place in their respective markets.
- In mid-2023, the new SPP image was launched emphasizing the 5 differences that distinguish SPP from other labels:
- 100% by and for small producers organized democratically.
- 100% companies and commercial cooperatives fully committed through their own
- 100% Guaranteed minimum prices for high quality sustainable products to allow a living income.
- 100% Products coming from organic and agroecological agriculture, with full physical traceability.
- 100% certification by independent bodies.
SPP Global also adopted a new slogan: “The empowering label”. It represents the origin and mission of SPP, as well as collective strengthening of capacities and economic empowerment for the families of small producers who are at the head of the organization at all times.
For 2024, SPP hopes to have the broad support of conscious consumers, companies and development cooperation agencies, to together achieve an empowered future and a strong boost to the well-being of hundreds of thousands of families of small producers worldwide.
