Home Repairs Through Fair Trade

Lemon workers at SICAR SA de CV in Mexico have participated in Fair Trade for the past eight years across their operations in Colima, Yucatán, and Veracruz. For many families, keeping a safe and comfortable home requires balancing repair costs with everyday expenses like food, transportation, and education. Over time, damaged roofs, worn walls, and cramped living spaces had become difficult to fix without extra support. Through three Fair Trade Committees representing 944 premium participants, workers chose housing conditions as a top shared priority during their 2025 needs assessment. Using $2,740 USD from their Community Development Funds, the workers approved a targeted housing project to repair and upgrade homes for participating families. The initiative delivered practical improvements, such as replacing roofs, fixing walls and bathrooms, and expanding living areas to elevate daily living conditions. As part of this effort, 45 workers replaced aging roofs with new, highly durable materials. These upgrades provide much greater protection and comfort during changing weather conditions. Ultimately, these important improvements build safer and more reliable homes for workers and their families. They also reduce the need for constant short-term repairs that often place heavy pressure on household budgets.