type: Conference

19th International Fair Trade Towns Conference

We are delighted to invite you to the 19th International Fair Trade Towns Conference, which will take place in Belgium from 9–11 October this year.

Following a successful application by Faire Gemeente Flanders and Communes du Commerce Équitable Wallonia & Brussels, together with their partners, to Fair Trade Towns International, we are pleased to be working in partnership to host “From Local Action to Global Revolution.”

Six Criteria and Next Level

The Fair Trade Towns programme in Belgium is unique. In addition to the five international criteria, it includes a national sixth criterion aimed at promoting the consumption and production of sustainable local food.

In Flanders there is also a “Next Level” criterion, which links fair trade with other sustainability themes such as ethical banking, fair fashion, fair natural stone, fair ICT, and share, repair and reuse initiatives.

Connecting local commitment to ecological and fair production and consumption with the global impact of our local actions lies at the heart of the Belgian Fair (Trade) Towns movement.

Conference Programme

The programme will cover topics such as global and European regulations and their connection to public procurement. It will also include site visits to Belgian Fair (Trade) Towns, as well as dedicated sessions and workshops focused on debate and exchange.

The detailed programme is still under development. However, the overall framework is already clear:

Friday 9 October
Focus on European institutions, policy, and procurement. The day will conclude with the official opening of the conference.

Saturday 10 October
Participants can choose between a visit to the Fair Trade city of Namur (Wallonia, southern Belgium), Brussels (the capital of Belgium), or Ghent (Flanders, northern Belgium). Each city will showcase good practices from its local initiatives.

Sunday 11 October
The day will be entirely devoted to exchange, inspiration, and debate. International and Belgian keynote speakers will explore the importance of activism within the fair trade movement, provide insights into the impact of fair trade on communities, and emphasise the need for grassroots action.

There will also be various practical sessions, workshops, and activities focusing on activism, rejuvenating the fair trade movement, purchasing policy, communication and events, decolonisation, and the impact of fair trade.

The conference will conclude at 6 p.m. with the announcement of the host of the 20th edition.

Travel and Accommodation

The conference will mainly take place in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Saturday visits will depart from this city. Brussels is easily accessible from around the world, as it is considered the heart of Europe.

There are many accommodation options available, ranging from youth hostels to luxury hotels and Airbnb. We recommend booking accommodation in or near the city centre, making it easy to reach the conference venues by public transport (metro, tram, or bus) or on foot.

More Information

We hope you will be interested in learning more about the conference and booking your tickets to join an international delegation of fair trade campaigners, supporters, grassroots organisations, enterprises, and producers working towards fair and sustainable trade.

We very much hope to welcome you to Belgium this October for this dynamic and important international event. Together, we will continue to be inspired by Fair Trade as an alternative model that drives enterprise, equality, fair opportunity, community wellbeing, and environmental protection; values that are more important than ever in times of global poverty, climate crisis, conflict, and inequality.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at bianca@fairtradebelgium.be.

18th International Fair Trade Towns Conference

We are delighted to invite you to the 18th International Fair Trade Towns Conference that will take place in Edinburgh on 30-31 August this year.

Following a successful application by Edinburgh Fairtrade City Group to Fair Trade Towns International, Scottish Fair Trade is delighted to be working in partnership to host Your Town, Our World: Fair Trade Communities & Local Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

We hope you will be interested to find out more about the conference and book tickets to join an international delegation of Fair Trade campaigners, supporters, enterprises and producers working for fair and sustainable trade. As the world’s second only Fair Trade Nation, we look forward to seeing strong support for this international event from many sectors of Scottish society.

We very much hope to see you in August in Edinburgh at this dynamic and important international event where we’ll continue to be inspired by Fair Trade as an alternative model that drives enterprise, equality and fair opportunity, and the wellbeing of local communities and environmental protection. Never more important as global poverty, the climate crisis, conflict and inequality continue.   

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact ifttc@scottishfairtrade.org.

And from the website: https://edinburghifttc.com/

Here is the ticket platform: https://buytickets.at/scottishfairtrade/1510006

Fair Trade Towns Conference 2024 registration is open!

Registration is now open! To participate in the lectures, workshops and discussion panels, please register at this link – Conference Online Registration Form (jotform.com) . We currently have over 80 participants from 23 countries joining the conference in Drakenstein.

The International Fair Trade Towns Conference is set to take place in Drakenstein, South Africa, in just couple of months, in September 20-22.

The conference aims to advance the participating towns’ Fair Trade activities, discover synergies among them, and enhance the global value creation of Fair Trade. The conference agenda includes in-depth analyses, practical case studies, engaging plenary discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. Attendees, comprising like-minded professionals, industry peers, and potential collaborators, will also have the chance to visit sites in the surrounding Cape Winelands rural areas.

There is a travel guide that offers essential information and advice for those attending the Fair Trade Towns Conference, available on the Resources page under General FTTs.

Attendees are encouraged to combine their visit with the WFTO’s annual summit, happening just beforehand from September 16-20 in Cape Town, a nearby city only about 20 kilometers away. More details on the WFTO summit can be found here: https://wfto.com/events/international-fair-trade-summit-2024/.

International Fair Trade Towns Conference and WFTO Annual Summit both in South Africa, one after another

This year’s International Fair Trade Cities Conference will take place in Drakenstein, South Africa from 20-22 September.

It is recommended to combine the Fair Trade Towns Conference trip with the WFTO’s annual summit, which will take place from 16 to 20 September in the neighbouring city of Cape Town, only about 20 kilometres away. More about the WFTO summit here.

The aim of the International Fair Trade Towns Conference is to strengthen and further the participating towns’ Fair Trade activities, find synergies among them, and increase the value creation of fair trade around the world. On the agenda will be in-depth analyses, practical examples, engaging plenary discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. The attendees, who will include like-minded professionals, industry peers and potential collaborators, will also do site visits in the surrounding Cape Winelands rural areas.

This travel guide provides important information and advice for those coming to the Fair Trade Town Conference on the Resources page under General FTT s

Also check out Drakenstein’s video of the conference.

Drakenstein Municipality to host first international Fair Trade Towns Conference in Africa

 Drakenstein Municipality is honoured to have been chosen as the host destination of the very first International Fair Trade Towns Conference in Africa, set to take place from 20 to 22 September 2024 in Paarl and Wellington.

This will be the 17th international conference of its kind, with over 400 sustainability influencers invited from around the world to come and experience Drakenstein’s sustainability milestones first-hand – and savour its warm hospitality, natural splendour, and authentic attractions.

This announcement was made at the 16th International Fair Trade Towns Conference, held in Glarus Nord, Switzerland, in September this year. [View Drakenstein Municipality’s conference promotion video here.]

“This is a major business confidence booster for the Municipality’s quest to attract more meetings, incentives, conferences and events to Drakenstein, as well as to promote our sustainable tourism offering and new Sustainable Route,” said Alderman Conrad Poole, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality.

The aim of the International Fair Trade Towns Conference is to strengthen and further the participating towns’ Fair Trade activities, find synergies among them, and increase the value creation of fair trade around the world. On the agenda will be in-depth analyses, practical examples, engaging plenary discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. The attendees, who will include like-minded professionals, industry peers and potential collaborators, will also do site visits in the surrounding Cape Winelands rural areas.

In 2020, Drakenstein Municipality became the first town in Southern Africa to self-declare as a Fair Trade City, making it the first Fair Trade City in South Africa and the fourth on the continent. This declaration signifies the Municipality’s support for goods produced using fair labour practices and environmentally friendly production processes.

The Municipality’s sustainability vision is to grow the area and build a city of excellence for its people. “We want to attract investment to stimulate development, economic growth and job creation so that we can improve people’s lives without compromising the quality of the environment for our future generations,” said Alderman Poole. [Please see “Drakenstein’s Sustainability Journey” attached.]

As a Fair Trade City, Drakenstein Municipality is dedicated to motivating residents to work towards a common goal and stay on course by advocating for environmental sustainability and supporting local sustainable businesses. It believes this will lead to job creation – by residents for residents. This means that businesses, institutions, and producers should work in compliance with Fair Trade criteria. They should also help educate the community about environmentally sustainable practices and the importance of supporting local industries, respecting the environment, and practicing climate-smart agriculture.

“We look forward to welcoming this prestigious conference to Drakenstein next year and are excited to connect with individuals from all over the world who share our passion for Fair Trade and sustainable practices and consumption,” said Alderman Poole.

“It is our commitment to the common message and the choices of individuals that change the lives of small-scale producers and the community. We want to increase community engagement around making Drakenstein Municipality a Fair Trade City of Excellence. All of us can contribute to securing a more sustainable future for generations to come,” he concluded.

Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality

 

For media enquiries, contact: Riana Geldenhuys, Manager: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality, on 021 807 6390, 082 460 5554 or rianag@drakenstein.gov.za.

16th International Fair Trade Towns Conference in Switzerland was a great success

16th International Fair Trade Towns Conference in Switzerland a great success

During three intense, inspiring and empowering days at the 16th International Fair Trade Towns Conference, more than 150 participants from over 25 countries on site in Glarus Nord and online exchanged ideas and discussed best practices and innovations. The conference brought together the international Fair Trade Town community and showed what can be achieved when we come together as a global movement.

We want to thank the organisers and all participants for the inspiring exchange and an amazing conference! A big thank you also to all of the partners and sponsors who made this event possible!

Read more about the International Fair Trade Towns Conference here (in germany and french). Read the Report review in english here.

International Fair Trade Town Conference 22-24 September 2023

This year’s conference will be hosted by the picturesque Fair Trade Town of Glarus Nord in Switzerland from 22-24 September. The national coordinators’ meeting is scheduled before the event on Thursday 21st, at 18:00. 

From the Conference you can expect extraordinary agenda which offers, e.g. in-depth analyses and practical examples, engaging plenary discussions, interactive workshops and networking with like-minded professionals, industry peers and potential collaborators.

The International Fair Trade Towns Conference 2023 website is open! Go check the programme and register to the event at https://ftt-conference2023.org/.

The website PLAN YOUR TRIP -Guide will help you make the most out of your trip.

International Fair Trade Towns Conference 2022

On October 21st, 22nd and 23rd the 15th Fair Trade Cities and Towns International Conference will take place in Quito, Ecuador. This meeting will be attended by delegations from the international and Latin American Cities for Fair Trade campaign, made up of authorities, committee members, producers, and supporters of Fair Trade. It is expected that around 250 people will participate.

Under the slogan “Fair Trade, in Sustainable Cities Construction”, delegations from several countries will exchange experiences and ideas about the Fair Trade Cities and Towns campaign at this meeting. The objective: Strengthen and promote the activities of the cities participating in the Fair Trade Cities and Towns campaign, publicize the commitment of the authorities and, above all, create synergies between cities and countries, with ideas and reflections to generate a Local Economic Development.

The meeting is organized in different presentations and workshops in which concrete experiences and initiatives will be presented, such as the commitment of universities or how to contribute to achieving more sustainable cities, young people and their commitment to the environment, women´s leadership within Fair Trade, as well as financing and market alternatives for small-scales producers. But more global issues such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their link to Fair Trade´s commitment will also be discussed.

Register on Int. Fair Trade Towns Conference Quito, Equador. On line participation also available. https://events.hubilo.com/15ta-conferencia…/login

To reach the largest number of national and international audiences, the conference will be hybrid. See the agenda: https://ciudades-comerciojusto.org/…/agenda-preliminar-ENG…

International Fair Trade Towns Conference 2021

We are pleased to announce that the annual International Fair Trade Town Conference is going take place this November. Due to the unstable Covid-19 situation the conference will be held online from 18th to 20th of November 2021. The National coordinators meeting will be on the 17th in the afternoon CEST. So please reserve those dates.

The digital format is a great opportunity for an inclusive and interactive conference. We aim to bring together multiple stakeholders: farmers and producers from the South, consumers, traders, volunteers and many more. We want to discuss the latest developments in a COVID19 – Build Back Fairer context and work together to set goals for a sustainable future for everyone.

The conference will be organized by Swiss Fair Trade. Swiss Fair Trade is the national platform of Fair Trade organizations and is running Fair Trade Town in Switzerland. Due to the different time zones, we will have different topics and workflows for which you can register. Main events will take place around 12.00 to 18.00 CEST each day.

Registration will then be open from September onwards.