From talking shop to signed-off strategy.
How Fairtrade International went from a working group that talked about traceability to a board-approved strategy, requirements and budget, in three months.
Everyone demanding proof. No way to provide it.
A new CEO wanted to professionalise how Fairtrade International delivered its core business, and get ahead of EUDR and rising client expectations for traceability of raw materials and transparency around social impact.
The pressure was coming from every direction at once. Legislators, retailers, brands and consumers demanded proof of origin, environmental performance and supply chain integrity, while rival certification schemes moved aggressively on exactly that ground. Fairtrade’s systems couldn’t trace products back to the farm in real time, and couldn’t consistently link premium payments to social and environmental outcomes.
They had tried a cross-functional working group. It had become a talking shop.
Market share, walking out the door.
Fairtrade couldn’t respond to what its commercial partners were asking for, and was losing ground to competitors that could. Its 2028 ambition, to be the sustainable supply chain partner of choice, depended on capabilities it didn’t have: answering requests on certification performance, premium payments linked to transactions, living wage gaps, producer profiles and stories. Staying the partner of choice meant building the capability and commercialising the data.
Three advisers’ jobs. One person.
I worked across the CEO's office, the raw material teams and the technical function at once. That combination is what the situation needed.
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Strategic adviser to the CEO
A critical friend, rewriting the strategy documents and presentations that went to the board for approval.
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Commercial adviser to the raw material teams
A shortlist of commercial opportunities for externally facing solutions, built on profitability and differentiation rather than compliance.
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Technology adviser with supply chain expertise
An 86-page business requirements document covering business processes, digital enablement and the commercial value proposition. The practical blueprint for responding to future traceability and transparency demands.
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The Commercial Traceability Working Group
I replaced the talking shop with a 10-person group across the business, built to drive action rather than discussion.
The requirements were grounded in demand, not theory. The insights came from more than 280 producers, traders, brands, retailers, Producer Networks, National Fairtrade Organisations and external partners.
Signed off in three months.
Fairtrade International came out with a straightforward strategy, clarity on how to practically deliver supply chain traceability and transparency, an understanding of its data and the gaps, a pathway to build the tech stack, and three distinct go-to-market offers to commercialise it. An engaged working group replaced the talking shop, and the board signed off the strategy, the requirements and the budget to implement.
The combination a big firm couldn’t field.
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Agricultural expertise from practical work across multiple raw materials, globally.
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Manufacturer, retailer and certification experience, in leadership roles at global market leaders rather than from a research desk.
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Technology depth: enterprise architecture, business partnering with sustainable sourcing and procurement, and traceability delivered from pilot to global scale.
Courtney enhanced our traceability and transparency from soil to shelf, adding value for producers, brands and retailers with every interaction.
Fairtrade International needed to professionalise its traceability and transparency data, and profit from it. I delivered the strategy, the requirements and the roadmap for competitive advantage.
