The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC) works to represent, assist and strengthen small Fair Trade producers and workers’ organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, fostering sustainable development and promoting empowerment, self-management and human rights to achieve a dignified livelihood for producers, workers and their communities.
The development of organizations of small Fair Trade producers and workers in the region is a priority for CLAC, because as organizations improve their capacities in different areas, they improve their sales and income and also ensure compliance with Fair Trade standards, promoting the welfare of its members.
Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive Officer coordinates and supports the fulfillment of CLAC’s objectives, goals, plans, programs and institutional projects. Furthermore, CLAC participates in different instances and coordinates initiatives with different stakeholders of the Fairtrade International system. Read the message from CLAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Xiomara J. Paredes..
This area includes the Strategic Communication, Human Resources and Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) units, as well as the Legal and Ethical Compliance and Continuous Improvement areas.
Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit (PMEL)
The Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit (PMEL) is responsible for organizing strategies and processes that facilitate the generation of information to support the learning of CLAC’s different structures, enable continuous improvement and support the development of a broader evidence base for the Fairtrade system’s development and sustainability objectives. CLAC’s PMEL Unit does important work providing information on the impact of Fairtrade in the region.
Strategic Communications Unit
CLAC’s strategic communication unit is responsible for promoting information in different formats on the impact of Fairtrade and the progress, results and achievements of institutional goals and objectives, as well as the contribution of Fairtrade to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Legal and Ethical Compliance
CLAC has a specialist in legal and ethical compliance, who verifies that its work meets the legal regulations established in the various countries and also with the procedures and regulations established by the Fairtrade International system.
Continuous Improvement
In CLAC we work with a focus on continuous improvement of the quality management system, aiming to develop activities that ensure the satisfaction of our membership. The continuous improvement area is responsible as well for supporting all areas to improve their processes on an ongoing basis.
Regional Directorates
In order to support the strengthening and development of its member organizations and provide them with adequate attention, CLAC has established four regional directorates: Central America and Mexico, Caribbean, Southern Cone and Andean. Each directorate has a team of managers who provide training and advice on compliance with Fairtrade standards and other issues of interest to producer and worker organizations.
Operations Directorate
Through the Operations Directorate, CLAC develops its strategies, programs and projects related to sustainable production, resource mobilization, due diligence in human rights and climate change, advocacy, empowerment and self-management of the membership, and also coordinates consultations on Fairtrade standards.
Sustainable Production Unit
CLAC’s sustainable production unit is responsible for providing advice to producer organizations to improve crop quality and yields and ensure that production is sustainable in environmental and social terms.
Program and Project Management Unit
In order to promote sustainable development and support member organizations, CLAC has a program and project management unit that is responsible for implementing the different programs and projects that respond to the needs of member organizations.
Resource Mobilization Unit
The main objective of the Resource Mobilization Unit is to manage actions aimed at obtaining partnerships and funding opportunities that contribute to the process of empowerment and self-management of the membership and the financial sustainability of CLAC. Learn more at this link.
Human Rights and Cross-Cutting Issues
CLAC’s Human Rights and Cross-Cutting Issues Unit brings together the work of the various areas of interest in the areas of Human Rights and the Environment for Fair Trade: Child Labor, Forced Labor, Gender and Youth Inclusion, Decent Income, Labor Rights, Climate Change and Food Sovereignty.
Advocacy
CLAC has developed an advocacy strategy to promote Fair Trade in the Latin American and Caribbean region and to make the voice of small producers and workers heard in different instances of the Fairtrade International system and the global Fair Trade movement.
Empowerment and Self-Management
This area contributes to the coordinating process of planning, implementation, monitoring and updating of the empowerment and self-management strategy with the Regional Directorates, developing common work methodologies for empowerment and self-management that address the reality and needs of the membership.
Standards
Fairtrade standards are constantly updated through periodic consultations with the participation of small producer organizations, which are led and coordinated by CLAC’s Standards Commission (CECLAC) and the CLAC’s Standards Unit. Learn more at this link.
Commercial Director
The Commercial Director is responsible for seeking new market opportunities for Fairtrade certified organizations in Northern countries as well as in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The Commercial Director has a team of commercial relations per product that works on the development of the strategies of each of the 7 product networks that group the CLAC member organizations. Learn more at this link.
Internal Resources Directorate
The Internal Resources Directorate is responsible for the efficient management of financial, administrative and technical resources, thus enabling an optimal flow in the organization’s processes. This directorate groups 4 working units: Finance, Administration, Procurement, and IT and Technology, which provide the necessary support to the organization’s operations, all based in El Salvador.
