Sponsor a producer group

Partner with producers across the world as they build a secure future for their fair trade businesses - and the amazing people who work for them.

Just £18 a month is all it takes to follow the journey of a Producer Group as they live out fair trade principles and support their communities through the most difficult circumstances.

Together, we’re building a movement of inspirational businesses who are changing everything for their communities - and showing the world a better way of doing business is possible.

Right now, you can choose to follow the journey of one of three groups…

Meet the producers

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How it works

Choose your group

Your journey supporting producers around the world starts with a choice: which group will you follow over time to see the kind of impact your donation can have?

Journey with them

We’ll share the ups and downs of what it’s really like to be a producer group operating fairly in the most challenging circumstances. You’ll see what difference your support can make and follow the story as it happens.

Succeed together

The trade system is stacked against producers, but the goal here is to support them to build strong, stable and self-sufficient businesses that power their communities forward for the long term.

 FAQs

  • When you sponsor a producer group, you fund investment in their future – through grants, support, and access to new networks and markets for their products. This investment enables them to grow their business, employ more people, try new ideas, and take risks they otherwise simply could not.

    Your regular gift funds a programme of work which supports producers where the need is greatest – responding together to threats and opening up new opportunities for growth.

    Your money will help support the producer group you choose to connect with plus many others like them. It also helps fund change to the trade system and the laws and policies which prevent fair trade producers from thriving.

  • Your donations support Transform Trade’s work with Producer Groups across the world. Whilst we’ll share with you the story of a core producer group, there may come a time when our support for them comes to an end, because they are self-sustaining and no longer need direct investment to thrive. In this case, we will offer you the chance to follow an alternative producer group in the same sector – whether that’s tea, fashion, or farming. We’ll always work to ensure your donations go where they can have the most impact.

  • We believe that trade has the potential to change millions of lives for the better. Right now, we know that the current trade system is built for the benefit of the wealthy and powerful – at the cost of millions of people facing exploitative wages or payment, and unsafe working conditions. For small, fair trade (not necessarily certified Fairtrade) businesses, competing with mainstream businesses is almost impossible – they simply don’t play by the same rules. A grant can help even up this playing field – giving them the opportunity to invest in new products, provide training for workers, or have the chance to reach new markets.

    Fair trade social enterprises measure their success on far more than shareholder profit – many of the businesses we invest in run development projects, offer social security networks, and make recruitment and training decisions based on lifting marginalised people out of poverty.

  • We look at a number of factors – social impact, work with marginalised people, eco-friendliness and potential for scale and growth. We also take into account location, markets, and our own existing networks and expertise – supporting businesses where we know Transform Trade’s involvement can make the maximum impact.

    We work in across three sectors – tea, fashion, and farming, and support businesses within these. This enables us to amplify the voices and experiences of producers working in these sectors, so they can help shape and influence policy and decision making.