Enabling Sustainable Development Goals
CSM is committed and actively contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India. The projects and activities being undertaken by CSM make direct linkages to the achievement of the SDGs. Mentioned below are some of the direct links between the SDGs and the action and impact CSM is working towards through its various projects:

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere– CSM is working towards this goal through its work on the Fairtrade India Project. This goal is central to the Fairtrade approach. At the heart of the Fairtrade model is this overarching goal, to ensure that trade enables smallholder farmers and workers to earn a decent living and have a brighter future for themselves and their families.

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture- CSM’s work through the Fairtrade India project is focussing on the sustainable livelihood and food security for small holder farmers. Small-scale farmers continue to provide a large percentage of the world’s population with food. That means creating robust livelihoods is crucial for achieving this goal. The Fairtrade model enables more secure and stable incomes for small-scale farmers and supports them to build strong, resilient businesses.

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all- CSM’s Fairtrade India Schools Programme is working to raise awareness and engagement among the young learners in India about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how they are relevant to everybody through their food and fashion choices and how the young learners can contribute towards the achievement of the SDGs through their everyday actions.

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls- CSM is working on empowering women in agricultural communities in India (through the Fairtrade India Project) as well as the local communities in the Western Ghats (through Project CRREA). The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified that overcoming gender inequalities can reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 150 million. The Fairtrade model supports women to participate equally in agriculture, earn better wages and diversify their income and opportunities. Through Project CRREA, CSM aims to empower women in the local communities of the Western Ghats to have a more active role in local resource conservation and build their capacity to drive decision making affecting their communities and livelihoods.

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all- CSM aims to strengthen local watershed management programmes in the Western Ghats by collaborating with the local communities and local authorities through it’s Project CRREA.

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all- CSM’s work through the Fairtrade India project aims to create better working conditions and more sustainable livelihoods in agriculture linked value chains. In line with the UN International Labour Organization and national legislation, the Fairtrade model promotes better working conditions, supports workers to negotiate for better pay and is striving to achieve living wages for workers on Fairtrade plantations. The Fairtrade Standards prohibit child and forced labour and the project aims to work with young people, their communities, producer organisations and governments to enable them to tackle the root causes themselves.

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns- CSM’s Fairtrade India project is playing a pivotal role in building the sustainable consumer movement in India towards fairer and more sustainable food and fashion choices by urban Indian consumers. Fairtrade is the leading ethical label worldwide. The Fairtrade India project is bringing together businesses, communities and thousands of consumers in India to understand and demand for fairer trade. CSM’s work through Project CRREA is also working towards reduction of chemical footprint in the Western Ghats.

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts- CSM is supporting agricultural communities in India take climate action through its Fairtrade India project. Small-scale farmers are already bearing the brunt of a changing climate. The Fairtrade model works with producer organisations and climate experts to build farmers’ resilience to climate shocks and stresses and thus be better equipped to adapt to, and mitigate their own impacts on global warming. CSM’s Project CRREA is focusing on direct Climate Change Response in the Western Ghats through initiatives linked to improving the green cover in the Western Ghats and aiming to build capacity of local communities to deal with the Climate Crisis.

Goal 15:Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss- CSM’s Project CRREA is working towards this goal in the Western Ghats through it’s actions towards improving and increasing the green cover including promoting the rich local biodiversity of the region which has been identified by UNESCO as global biodiversity hotspot.

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels- CSM’s Fairtrade India project supports democratic decision making in farming communities. The Fairtrade model focuses on building democracy from the ground up including deciding on how to use their Fairtrade Premium to empowering producers to demand accountability of their organizations.

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development- Power imbalances in supply chains that favour companies over small-scale farmers in developing countries can be a barrier to implementing the SDGs. CSM through its Fairtrade India project works with multiple partners – producer organizations, businesses, civil society, government agencies and other multi-stakeholder bodies.