Smallholders Project

ETI Experimental Projects

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Introduction to Project

ETI company members are aware of the presence of small agricultural producers (smallholder farmers and their workers) in their supply chains. Smallholders are frequently marginalised and vulnerable, as they are at the bottom of the supply chain and may lack access to market information, training, credit and agricultural inputs. NGO and trade union members are keen to improve the conditions of smallholders. This project was set up to provide guidance to members on how to tackle these challenges and to define corporate responsibility with regard to labour standards in the smallholder context.

Project aims and objectives

The project aims and objectives are to:

• establish how the ETI Base Code can be applied, implemented and monitored with smallholders;
• document and learn about different approaches to tackling poor working conditions of smallholders in supply chains;
• increase members’ and others understanding of the situation of smallholders;
• improve the working conditions of smallholders.

Key achievements and challenges:

• Kenya research and consultation:
  ETI’s Local Co-ordinator in Kenya, Dr Maggie Opondo, conducted research into the characteristics, needs and priorities of smallholders and their workers in members’ supply chains. This included interviews and focus group discussions with over 500 smallholders and workers. The research yielded a great deal of useful information about the situation of smallholders and their workers, the problems they face and benefits they receive from supplying export markets. The research was well-received by both UK and Kenyan stakeholders, and helped to shape the revision of the Guidelines as well as changes to project activities.
   
• Challenge of testing the guidance developed:
  In September 2004 the Smallholder Group agreed that testing the Guidelines with smallholders in tea and fresh produce in Kenya as originally planned was not feasible within a project timeframe. All those working with smallholders need to develop their own timetable to make the necessary improvements over a period of years. Otherwise there was a risk that those involved in the test group (export companies and smallholders themselves) would have to increase their costs significantly in a short period of time, pricing them out of the market. Instead, the group agreed that company members will roll out the Guidelines with all suppliers in their supply chains who use smallholders. Group members will report on progress in order to revise the Guidelines following practical use in multiple contexts.
   
• Guidelines published:
  The Guidelines were finalised in spring 2005, translated into members’ priority languages, including Kiswahili and Spanish then professionally laid out and published. Extremely well-attended launches were held in Nairobi, Spain and UK in September 2005. The guidelines are now available for downloading on this website (see project documents below).

Plans

A workshop to review implementation progress and uptake will be held in March 2006. The project group will then decide whether to move forward in attempting some form of impact assessment at a later time date.

Which ETI members are involved?

Companies:
Asda, Flamingo Holdings, Marks & Spencer, Premier Foods, Ringtons, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Taylors of Harrogate, Ethical Tea Partnership, The Body Shop International, The Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd, Union Coffee Roasters.

Trade unions:
International Union of Foodworkers, Transport and General Workers Union.

NGOs:
Africa Now, Fairtrade Foundation, Oxfam, Traidcraft.

As well as some of their suppliers, affiliates and partners in Kenya.
 

For further information contact:

Liz Kirk, Head of Projects, liz@eti.org.uk

 

 

Project documents:

1. ETI Smallholder Guidelines: recommendations for working with smallholders; also:
   • Directrices de la ETI para minifundistas: Recomendaciones para trabajar con minifundistas [en español]
   • Mwongozo wa ETI kwa wakulima wadogo: mapendekezo ya kufanya kazi na wakulima wadogo [kiswahili]
   • Press Release: UK supermarkets back initiative to help break cycle of poverty for poor farm workers (29 Sept 2005).
   • Press Release: ETI Director calls for industry-wide action to help poor farm workers reap benefits of global trade (22 Sept 2005).
   • ETI Smallholder Guidelines: UK Launch Seminar (Sept 2005).

Other relevant links:

• Report on the ETI Biennial Conference 2003, in particular:
  • Chapter 4 - Providing workers with confidential complaints mechanisms
  • Chapter 6 - The challenge of code implementation in supply chains that include homeworkers and/or smallholders

• Smallholders in Export Horticulture: A Guide to Best Practice Natural Resources and Ethical Trade
  Natural Resource and Ethical Trade Programme, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich Nov 2003, [CD-ROM available via www.nri.org/NRET/smllhold.htm]
• Social accountability in Sustainable Agriculture Project
  A collaborative learning project aiming to improve social auditing techniques in agriculture: www.isealalliance.org/sasa/
• Managing Codes in the Smallholder Sector
  Natural Resource and Ethical Trade Programme, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich www.nri.org/NRET/TP6.pdf