Engaging with farming communities: Yumeko invited to join Fairtrade Rightsholder Dialogue

Our cotton is grown by farmers at the very start of the chain. By hand, in the soil, day in, day out. How do we get brands and organisations working collaboratively with them? And more broadly, how do we make sure fair trade isn’t just fairwashing?

At Yumeko, we believe that to be sustainable, you’ve got to listen. And the voices that really count are those of the people who produce the raw materials that we call ‘fairly produced’. These farmers, families and communities are the backbone of every cotton fibre we process. Their knowledge, concerns and perspectives represent not the periphery, but the core of what we call a responsible chain.

That’s why Yumeko is proud to be the first textile brand globally that has been selected to join Fairtrade’s Rightsholder Dialogue. As part of this pilot, we and cotton farmers from the Chetna cooperative in India are exploring ways in which Yumeko can engage with them as an equal partner. Not via forms or reports, but through routine dialogue: talking face-to-face and listening to what farmers have to say.

Together with Fairtrade and our Indian cotton farmers at Chetna, we’re initiating a series of sessions to share perspectives, discuss aspirations and discover what they think are the key components of a fair and ethical supply chain. What does sustainable farming mean to them? Which bottlenecks and opportunities have they identified? And what do they need to ensure their businesses prosper now and in the future? The first session is scheduled for autumn 2025. Together, we’ll continue to build a supply chain in which farmers aren’t only producers, but contributors and equal decision-makers.

This pilot isn’t an end in itself – it marks the start of a journey. It requires a different kind of collaboration that focuses more on active listening. We know that the only way to establish flourishing, fair supply chains is by viewing them as communities – of people with lived experiences, ambitions and concerns. Yumeko is grateful for Fairtrade’s trust. We look forward to learning from farmers, engaging regularly with them and co-creating a textile industry that is fairer for everyone.