The Fairtrade Network of Asia & Pacific Producers (Fairtrade NAPP) and the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperative development, sustainable agriculture, responsible value chains and market access across the Asia-Pacific region.
The MoU was signed in New Delhi on September 29, 2026, by Bindu Sukumarapillai, CEO of Fairtrade NAPP, and Balasubramanian G. Iyer, Regional Director of ICA-AP. The agreement is effective from September 29, 2026, to September 30, 2028.
The partnership brings together Fairtrade NAPP’s network of more than 270 Fairtrade-certified producer organisations, representing over 190,000 farmers and workers across 20 countries, and ICA-AP’s cooperative network comprising 124 members across 29 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will collaborate on cooperative development and advocacy, knowledge sharing, research, capacity building and market access. The partnership will also seek to strengthen the participation and opportunities of women and youth in cooperatives and producer organisations.
A key area of cooperation will be promotingcoop-to-coop trade by connecting cooperatives and Fairtrade producer organisations with new supply chains at national, regional and international levels. The organisations will also explore collaboration around climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD), circular economy and regenerative agriculture.
The MoU also provides for thematic research, case studies and knowledge-sharing initiatives, including the Fairtrade for Cooperatives Meet. The organisations will explore South-South cooperation, exchange of technical expertise and opportunities for joint resource mobilisation and funding.
The partnership also includes cooperation with regard to Central Asia and other emerging areas of cooperative development. Both organisations intend to use their respective networks and expertise to support knowledge exchange, advocacy and capacity building among cooperatives and producer organisations.
The agreement is also aligned with the International Cooperative Alliance’s Financial Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, which focuses on people-centred businesses and sustainable, democratic and inclusive development.
For the cooperative sector, the MoU represents an effort to bring cooperative networks and Fairtrade producer organisations closer to markets, knowledge and capacity-building opportunities. Its implementation will determine how effectively these areas of cooperation translate into practical opportunities for cooperatives and producers across the region.
