Studies for Fairtrade Foundation have found a clear trend revealing that half of those under 34 in the UK would be more likely to vote for a government that upholds British climate commitments, writes Neill Barston.

The research, from the Kantar Group, comes in the wake of the creation of the UK Cocoa Coalition, which is urging the country’s ruling Labour administration to adopt eco-linked human rights due diligence policies that are parallel to the EUDR deforestation legislation (and associated corporate due diligence laws that are making their way through the EU Parliament separately),  that is due to come into force at the end of this year.

Moreover, the Fairtrade Foundation, which makes a notable return to our World Confectionery Conference this September in London, shows  the organisation warns climate change is putting everyday staples under growing pressure and threatening the livelihoods of the next generation of farmers.

Jason Archie-Archeampong (centre), of Fairtrade Foundation, asserted that Fairtrade premiums were in fact making a difference on the ground. He will be returning to this year’s World Confectionery Conference in London. Pic: Bell Publishing/Dafos

Ahead of London Climate Action Week (which starts today, June 20), the charity launched Fair on the Planet, the second moment in its 2026 Do It Fair campaign, to highlight how farmers growing products such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas are already facing extreme heat, erratic rainfall, flooding and crop disease.

This comes as an El Niño year is expected to further impact weather conditions and temperatures. As we await the outcome of the Government’s Responsible Business Conduct Review, Fairtrade’s petition is nearing 100,000 signatures backing support for calling on the government to adopt those due diligence frameworks which have been left essentially in limbo for several years. The organisation hopes to bring about awareness to government ministers to bring forward responsible business laws.

The new research from Kantar, commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation, suggests there is strong public backing for tougher action, with 76% of overall respondents saying businesses should be required to show evidence they protect human rights and reduce environmental harm.

Marie Rumsby, Advocacy Director at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “The people feeding and powering the global economy are already experiencing the worst impacts of the climate crisis, even though they did the least to cause it. It should not be on farmers to fix a crisis they did not create.

“The food and drink we rely on every day depends on healthy soil, water and stable temperatures. Without urgent action, climate change will increasingly threaten products people in the UK love, from their morning tea or coffee to chocolate and bananas.

“This latest research suggest climate action is becoming a defining issue for younger voters, who are increasingly looking for leaders willing to protect the environment and the future of the foods they rely on. With public support for tougher corporate accountability growing, the government must act on this opportunity to match climate ambition with fairer rules for global supply chains through a new responsible business law,” adding that voluntary action from companies is no longer enough, and that urgent action from the government and clear legislation was require to protect people and the planet.

Other research studies highlight the scale of the threat across everyday staples: In Kenya, half of young tea workers say climate change is now their biggest challenge, while crops including cocoa are already being hit by extreme weather, creating renewed pricing volatility. 

In addition, Fairtrade will also take ‘unfair games’ and workshops to nine festivals across the UK, giving festivalgoers new ways to engage with the campaign and its partners, and will be hosting an event about the challenges faced by coffee farmers to coincide with London Climate Action Week.

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fairtrade will be hosting a drop-in iced mochaccino reception on 23 June in Parliament, highlighting the growing climate risks faced by farmers and setting out clear recommendations for how the UK Government can support a just and equitable transition to sustainable farming.