Fair Trade Towns - the Vehicle for Change

Fair Trade Towns - The vehicle for change

Bruce Crowther, Tadeusz Makulski International Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee WFTO Bienale Conference - Milan 24 May 2015 Ft_sign.jpg

Ft_sign.jpg

“The beacon that has started in Garstang can spread like wildfire through the whole country” George Foulkes – past Under Secretary of State, June 2000

The five founding Goals

Council passes a Resolution supporting fair trade and agreeing to procure fair trade products.

A range of fair trade products are readily available in the area’s shops & catering establishments

Fair trade products are used by a number of work places & community organisations

Attract media coverage & popular support for the campaign

A local Fair Trade steering group is convened to ensure commitment to Fair Trade Town status

Moving from Fairtrade to Fair Trade

 The Garstang campaign focused on the FAIRTRADE Mark

 The international movement developed to include a wider range of Fair Trade products

 ‘Fairtrade Towns’ became ‘Fair Trade Towns’ becoming more inclusive

 The "Big Tent" approach is used in Australia and New Zealand, USA, Spain, France, Japan, Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland

 This inclusivity now spreading to the Global South

New Koforidua, Kumamoto, Ghana 2011 Japan 2011

Poznan, Poland 2012

Wolfville, Canada 2007 Saarbrucken, Germany 2009

Malmo, Sweden 2006 Media, USA 2006

Rome, Italy 2005 Hiiu District, Estonia2014 Yarra, Australia 2006 Groningen, Netherlands 2009 Sauda, Norway 2006 Tampere, Finland 2009 14 cities, France 2009 Neustadt, Austria2007 Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica 2009 Cordoba, Spain 2008 Dunedin, New Zealand 2009 Copenhagen, Denmark 2008 Differdange, Luxembourg 2011 Alfenas / Poços de Caldas, Gent, Belgium Brazil 2008/2013 Clonakilty, Ireland 2003 2005 Litomerice & Vestin, Czech Rep. 2011 1,632 Fair Trade Towns in 25 countries Diversity of Fair Trade Towns Who owns Fair Trade Towns?

 True ownership is at the grassroots level.

 To ensure credibility, national campaigns have been facilitated by a number of different national organisations or a coalition.

 Each national campaign is represented at the international level by a national Fair Trade Towns Coordinator.

 The Int. Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee role is to facilitate the International FTT network both for organisers and campaigner groups North&South. International Fair Trade Towns Movement

Int. Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee GLOBAL NORTH (Int. FTT Ambassador + 6 others) GLOBAL SOUTH National FTT orgs/coalitions Regional FTT Committees (Yet to be developed – (Presently in presently FTTs in Ghana, Costs 22 countries with FTTs + an Rica & Brazil’ Latin America) additional 8) National (Regional) FTT Coordinators (Presently 43 representing 33 countries)

Local FTT Steering Committees (Presently 1,632 in 25 countries) International Fair Trade Towns Guidelines 2013

 Definition of Fair Trade & Fair Trade products (Charter of FT Principles)

 Our Mission & Objectives

 Recommendations

 Grassroots Movement, Grassroots Ownership

 International FTT Steering Committee & Ambassador

International Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee

The Objectives

1. Facilitate the International Fair Trade Towns network both for organisers and  Bruce Crowther, Garstang, campaigner groups. The FIG Tree (UK) 2. Establish direct communication lines  Katharina Beelen, Sustainable Food Coordinator, between the Steering Committee and local Belgium groups, e.g. Fair Trade Town Steering Groups, WFTO members etc.  Adam Gardner, Communities Campaigns Manager, UK 3. Further develop the existing international  Billy Linstead Goldsmith, network of Fair Trade Towns and support National Coordinator, USA all new national initiatives.  Ulisses Ferreira de Oliveira, 4. Develop and protect the concept of Fair Poços de Caldas, Brazil Trade Towns while maintaining common  Tadeusz Makulski, National ground and an identity. Coordinator, Poland

5. Create and participate in dialogue with  Tatsuya Watanabe, National different stakeholders of the Fair Trade Coordinator, Japan movement. 6. Raise funds for its work.

Where next?

“when we have 300 Fairtrade Towns in the UK we will have the largest campaign movement ever seen in this country”

Simeon Greene – Banana Producer

Three Challenges

 What do FTTs mean in the Global South?

 How do you guide, maintain and resource an international grassroots movement without losing its independence?

 How do we enable FTTs to be more inclusive and effective in fighting for Fair Trade and Trade Justice?

Our vision is to have a united global community of activist groups in both North and South:

 committed to Fair Trade and trade justice and sharing a common aspiration to make the world a fairer place

 with jointly-agreed and regularly updated Int. advocacy objectives

 enabled to network internationally through the IFTTSC and supported financially in the long term by a wide range of Fair Trade stakeholder organisations

 enabled through networking internationally to develop their own plans of action according to local and regional circumstances

 grown and nurtured with the support of a sustainably resourced international ambassador, as new initiatives spring up in both North & South and coordinated to undertake international action when needed International Fair Trade Stakeholders

GLOBAL FAIR TRADE GLOBAL NORTH PLAYERS GLOBAL SOUTH

 WFTO Europe  WFTO  WFTO Latin America  WFTO Pacific Rim  FAIRTRADE INTERNATIONAL  WFTO Africa  FT Country Networks  WFTO Asia  Worldshop’s Networks  Fairtrade Africa& others  Fairtrade Country LI  CLAC  Fair Trade USA  NAPP Fair Trade  Others  Others Advocacy Office

International Fair Trade Towns Movement

Int. Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee (Int. FTT Ambassador + 6 others) GLOBAL NORTH GLOBAL SOUTH National FTT orgs/coalitions Regional FTT Committees (Presently in (Yet to be developed – 22 countries with FTTs + an National (Regional) presently FTTs in Ghana, Costs additional 8) FTT Coordinators Rica & Brazil’ Latin America) (Presently 43 representing 33 countries)

Local FTT Steering Committees (Presently 1,632 in 25 countries) Producer organizations and the Fair Trade Towns Campaign

Capacity building opportunities. Promoting Fair Trade. Domestic market access for FT products

International Fair Trade Towns Movement

PRODUCERS Local FTT Steering Committees (Presently 1,632 in 25 countries) Thank you

Bruce Crowther, International Fair Trade Towns Ambassador

Tadeusz Makulski, WFTO Representative for Fair Trade Towns