Welcoming Notes: Mi'kma'ki, First Nation. Lorraine Whitman (Glooscap First Nation) Halifax, Mayor Michael Savage Nova Scotia, MLA Joachim Stroink

Transcription

1 5 TH NATIONAL FAIR TRADE CONFERENCE LEARN. SHARE. CONNECT. Location: World Trade & Convention Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia Date: February 24 th, 25 th and 26 th, 2017 Conference Overview Sponsors: Partner: Fairtrade Canada Platinum: Just Us!, Farmer Direct Co-op Gold: Traditional Medicinals, Ten Thousand Villages, Chartwells, Aramark Silver: Ethical Bean, Camino, Saint Mary s University, Equifruit, Oikocredit, Laughing Whale Coffee Bronze: Discovery Organics, Florists Supply, Volo Athletics Welcoming Notes: Mi'kma'ki, First Nation. Lorraine Whitman (Glooscap First Nation) Halifax, Mayor Michael Savage Nova Scotia, MLA Joachim Stroink Logistics & Scheduling: Daily Schedule: 9:00 start, 4:15 end. Breakfast: 7:30-9:00, Opening plenary 9:00-10:15, Break 10:15-10:45, Breakouts: 10:45-12:00, Lunch 12:00-1:15, Breakouts: 1:15-2:30, Break: 2:30-3:00, Breakouts: 3:00-4:15 Venue: World Trade & Convention Centre. Main Ballroom (capacity 300), Reception Space, 3 Breakouts (Capacity 100 per room). All events held on same floor Catering: Coffee was arranged by Just Us, Tea was provided by Just Us & Traditional Medinals, Sugar was provided by Camino, Hot Chocolate was provided by Camino, Granola was provided by Nuterra A light breakfast was provided, snacks were offered at breaks and sandwhiches were served for lunch Keynotes: Gavin Fridell, Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies James Mwai, Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy, Fairtrade Africa Andres Gonzalez Aguilera, Co-operativa Manduvira, Paraguay o Speaker Gifts were provided by Ethical Bean, Full Steam, Camino, Just Us & Ten Thousand Villages Breakout Sessions: (25 sessions, 75-minutes in length) (45 speakers & facilitators) Friday Breakouts: Fair Trade Town Workshop, Building Fair Trade Business, Fair Trade 101, Fair Trade Campus Workshop, Fair Trade Financing, Updates and New Developments in Fair Trade, Fair Trade, Organic Agriculture, and Climate Change, Marketing Fair Trade Products and Retail Engagement, Understanding the Fairtrade International certification system From bean to cup Saturday Breakouts: Community Outreach Workshop, The Fair Trade Movement & The Co-op Sector in Canada, Fair Trade: What Are We Trying to Accomplish? What are our goals?, National Fair Trade Standard: Pros and Cons, Fair Trade Coffee, Trade Justice: What Could It Look Like?, Sustainable Public Procurement, Fair Trade Flowers, Trade Policy Sunday Breakouts: Fair Trade Schools Workshop, Fair Trade Sugar, Domestic Fair Trade: Where and How Does It Fit, Sustainable Investment: The other side of the coin, Fair Trade Clothing, Official Development Assistance and Fair Trade o o Speaker gifts were provided by Laughing Whale Podium, Laptop, Projector, Screen, Mic, Speakers, Flipchart, Easel, Felts, Post It Notes and Tape Provided in each room

2 Special Sessions: Fairtrade Canada Membership Meeting (Saturday, 4:30-6:00pm) CFTN Annual General Meeting (Sunday, 4:30-6:00pm) CFTN Strategic Framework Launch: New strategy introduced on opening morning. Printed copies out during the conference. Closing plenary provided space to break out and discuss priorities outlined in the strategy Evening Events: Friday: Tradeshow, with light snacks and drinks served. Held at the conference venue Saturday, Canadian Fairtrade Awards, hosted by Fairtrade Canada. Held offsite at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Pre-Conference Communications: Materials hosted online at: Registration was completed through Eventbrite Promotion: Direct Invites, s, Newsletter, Facebook & Twitter During Conference Communications: 32-page delegate book, lanyard and nametag provided to each delegate Camino chocolate bar given to each delegate upon registration Promotional Materials: o CFTN: Fair Trade Magazine, 2016 Annual report, Handmade Guide o Fairtrade Canada: promotional materials, program materials Audio/Visual Provided by Groundsound Twitter pre-scheduled to cover all sessions and events Photography Rachael Sparling from Sonas Photography Media: CTV ran a story Global TV ran a story Volunteers: A full volunteer schedule was put together. 2 people at the registration desk, 1 person in each breakout session to help facilitate, keep time and take notes Extras: Florists Supply put together flowers and had them out throughout the conference Accommodation: The Prince George Hotel. Room rate: $119/night

3 Feedback & Recommendations for 2018 What did you think of the scheduling of the conference? (i.e. overall length, Friday-Sunday, length of the sessions, breaks and lunches, etc.) Days of the week: Friday-Sunday worked, though Thursday to Saturday would also work. Ending earlier on Sunday works. Breakouts: Sessions were good length, more time for discussion needed however Breaks and lunches: well timed Tradeshow on Friday works CFTN AGM could have been earlier, or built into the main schedule Time to explore the city was well received What did you think of the materials provided? (i.e. delegate handbook, badges, posters, etc.) Suggestions for next year? Excellent all around It would be nice if we could share contact info Pads of paper, pens and a conference bag might be nice More emphasis needed to return and recycle the conference badges/lanyards. Next year give a chocolate bar out for returning your lanyard, rather then with registration Link sessions to strategic framework, colour coded Badges should be double sided Wifi password needed to be communicated more What did you think about the conference venue? Great venue, convenient, heart of the city Windows, more natural light would have been nice Round tables worked Mic and speakers in rooms worked well Would have been nice to find a venue that was a little more values aligned, especially on catering Very close to the hotel Please provide comment on the food and beverage provided. Please provide recommendations for next year 1. The food was okay 2. More fruits and vegetables would be nice 3. Veggie, Vegan, Gluten Free and Dairy Free options could have been better 4. More Organic and Fair Trade options needed 5. Greater variety needed, especially lunch 6. Hot food would have been nice 7. Sitting options for dinner/evening events would have been nice 8. More local offerings How would you rate this years Keynote speakers? What stood out to you? Do you have keynote speaker ideas for next year? Excellent, diverse, hard hitting. James, Andres and Gavin all well received Gavin challenged the audience, and set a tone for the conference, caused some stir, and a lot of discussion Incredible having Lorraine from Glooscap first Nation All three keynotes were male, aim for gender balance next year Great balance, variety of opinion and perspective

4 How would you rate this year s breakout sessions? Was there anything that stood out? Do you have breakout session ideas for next year? Session should be listed as Beginner, intermediate or advanced Sessions should be labelled as lecture, panel discussion or workshop Great to see sessions push the envelop this year, in terms of topics Session Ideas: o Thematic Networking o Gender and fair trade o How to explain fair trade to the public o More sessions organized as a dialogue of discussion o Sessions led in French o Intro Fair Trade Programs Sessions & Advanced program sessions o Sales workshop Were the connections you made during the conference valuable? Excellent Delegate list in advance, during and afterward would be great Did you stay at the Prince George Hotel? Were you happy with your stay? Is there anything that could have been done differently? Excellent, great hotel, very conveniently located, in down town and close to the convention centre What did you think of the cost of the conference? Prohibitive? Willing to pay more? The price was fair Willing to pay more Please provide any other comment. Video recording next year FT Business Tours offered next year Put out a call for content and speakers for 2018 Consider using an app for schedules, sessions and feedback Have a quiet room for people to hang out Note that it is a safe space, and that we re here for open and respectful dialogue

5 Content Overview Friday, February 24 th Welcome to Mi kma ki First Nations, Lorraine Whitman (Glooscap First Nations) Fair trade is helping all the races of the people, and that is why I am here today Lorraine Whitman, Glooscap First Nations Keynote: Gavin Fridell, Canada s Research Chair in International Development Studies It s easy to certify things, but it is harder to lift people out of poverty. We need to keep asking questions Fair Trade Town Workshop Torrye McKenzie (CFTN), Mélissa Dubé (Fairtrade Canada), Erin Bird (Fair Trade Calgary), Zack Gross (Fair Trade Manitoba) Long term Fair Trade Town stability. Need to develop a Fair Trade Town strategy template, need money Renewal process. Forms are currently too long. Focus on a different theme each year for the renewal (product availability, political support, visibility). Data base to log data throughout the year. Focus on quantifiable purchasing data Retailers and business. Share fair trade product available on social media Quarterly Fair Trade Town calls starting late spring 2017 Building Fair Trade Business Jennifer Williams (Goodfood2u), Darryl Reed (York University), Bill Barret (Planet Bean), Martin Van Den Borre (La Siembra), Jennie Coleman (Equifruit) We can help fair trade companies advance by: Informing corporate buyers that fair trade businesses need more funds and resources than normal businesses, Creating a canadian fair trade co-op that can represent all fair trade businesses in Canada Fair Trade 101 Eric St Pierre (Oxfam Quebec/AQCE), Dustin Johnson (CFTN) Many products which are present in the fair trade movement around the globe. Fair trade products have requirements which include environmentally friendly production, safe working standards, no child labour, gender equality, decent wages, and democracy within producing co-operatives. Premiums are attached to fair trade products for social and economic development within communities. Consumers have a role in the movement, as driving the market here in Canada is key to the success of fair trade globally. Fair Trade Campus Workshop Torrye McKenzie (CFTN), Melissa Dubé (Fairtrade Canada), Mark McLaughlin (Simon Fraser University) Tim Hortons Engagement Simon Fraser University. 188 Tim Hortons on Fair Trade Campuses. Working to have Tim Hortons offer fair trade coffee options to meet the needs/attitude of the student population. Have met with them over the past three years with little success. Need to come together as a national network to have them meet our demands, or remove them from our campuses Currently half a million students attending Fair Trade Campuses across Canada, we need to raise our voices and shift our collective purchasing power into the pockets of farmers. New standards for Fair Trade Campus Program Silver and Gold Statuses. Existing standards will remain the same. Increased product availability commitments to include chocolate bar varieties, fruit, cotton, and more. Gold status will include Franchises as locations required to carry fair trade products Fair Trade Campus program is growing rapidly and leaders want to do more standards are responding to these requests.

6 Fair Trade Financing Jennifer Williams (Goodfood2U), Darryl Reed (York University), Bill Barret (Planet Bean), Martin Van Den Borre (La Siembra) Opportunities and strategies to acquire financing: Institutional financing options. The Canadian Small Business Financing Program. Build meaningful, long lasting relationships with local suppliers. Work with banks that are comfortable with the risk level that comes with fair trade. Community bonds Updates and New Developments in Fair Trade Erin Bird (Fair Trade Calgary), John Young (Fairtrade Canada), Ann Ferguson (Fair Trade Federation), Errol Sharpe (Fernwood Publishing) Recent 50 percent producer representation at Fairtrade International A new focus on climate change New labeling initiatives, such as Fairtrade Brazil Growth within SPP New launch of WFTOs Guarantee System Value addition at origins (examples from sugar and coffee) Fair Trade, Organic Agriculture, and Climate Change Dr. Andrew Hammermeister (Director, Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada), Monika Firl (Co-operative Coffees), John Young (Fairtrade Canada) There are natural affinities between fair trade and organic agriculture movements to confront climate change, and share information about new developments and valuable insights. The time is ripe for a broad-based alliance around sustainable living Potential partnerships amongst certifiers, grassroots organizer and advocates. Marketing Fair Trade Products and Retail Engagement John Marron (Fairtrade Canada), Mischa Kaplan (Rainbow Foods), Kim Chackal (Equifruit) Currently 7,000 products in Canada that are fairtrade certified Visit your producers and share their stories with the public and companies you wish to partner with On a store-to-store level, the same keys to successfully selling any product apply to fair trade products Need brand owners, retailers, and civil society to work together in order to be successful Many distributors do not know that they have fair trade products Understanding the Fairtrade International certification system From bean to cup Shannon Brown (Fairtrade Canada), Jose Abad-Puelles (Fairtrade Canada) Process behind the certification within the International Fairtrade Mark These standards fit into a broader Theory of Change Saturday, February 25 th Keynote: James Mwai, Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy, Fairtrade Africa Fair trade puts producers at the center of an issue and engages them to find a solution Communities know best what their SDG priorities are. Not companies Community Outreach Workshop Torrye McKenzie (CFTN), Melissa Dubé (Fairtrade Canada), Tess Pooran (Saint Mary s University), Erin Bird (Fair Trade Calgary), Zack Gross (Fair Trade Manitoba) Engaging at a governmental level (municipal and provincial)

7 Build relationships with concrete actions Development of policies, motions etc. to facilitate. Engaging businesses and retail Petitions, demonstrations, social media Do your homework on the business/retail locations (have conversations with decision-makers) Partner with student advocates and community groups Engaging communities Need to compile resources for national sharing Magnets, engagement costumes, individualistic posters/graphics World s largest bake sale late 2017 The Fair Trade Movement & The Co-op Sector in Canada Karen Miner (Saint Mary s University), Darrly Reed (York University), Andrea Kohut (Canadian Co-operative Association) Co-ops are everywhere: they share the same values, and make decisions as a collective How can we get co-operatives in Canada to connect with each other? Need a way to spread awareness of active co-operatives in Canada to facilitate connection to fair trade groups and the overall movement both working towards the same goals: equality and inclusion. Fair Trade: What are We Trying to Accomplish? What are our goals? Monika Firl (Co-operative Coffees), James Mwai (Fairtrade Africa), Sean McHugh (CFTN) Currently there is a need to find a common ground between farmers, us, and the big companies Decision actors (i.e. United Nations) need to view us as nosiness partners/equals Need to find a balance between local cooperatives and fair trade deals for farmers Currently missing opportunities in: Alignment and awareness of SDGs Work from grassroots needs to have an impact on the people in power Need more political will Need to show people the high quality of fair trade products Selling more fair trade products is how we will help solve problems National Fair Trade Standard: Pros and Cons Krista Pineau (Ecocert Canada) Currently no consequence if some companies use the word fair trade which creates confusion in the market place. Key elements for national fair trade standard: unite, harmonization, and simplification Scenario A: History of Organic Regulation: Regulation impact: 3x increase in Canadian organic food Would prevent fair trade label fatigue Scenario B: COSMOS Harmonization: Impact: reunion of certifiers and association with control in place which can establish recognition b/w them. Could create our own labels at an international scale Scenario C: Fair Trade in France: Impact: in charge of employing the laws, and responsible for checking the labels Fair trade could maintain high bar standards within public spheres. Fair Trade Coffee Jose Abad-Puelles (Fairtrade Canada), Lloyd Bernhardt (Ethical Bean), Carmen Labbé (Kicking Horse Coffee), Steven Zubalik (Laughing Whale Coffee Roasters) Not all fair trade coffee is sold under fair terms, currently a lack of demand

8 There is a need to raise awareness of fair trade in Canada Awareness of challenges (environmental and economical) facing coffee farmers and benefits of the movement. Currently a lot of different ethical coffee claims (direct trade, fairly traded, free trade) CFTN needs to help clarify these terms Trade Justice: What Could It Look Like? Gavin Fridell (Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies) What is the end goal of fair trade? We could aim to establish a global standard for labour and environmental protections Or a living wage for all We have the power and voice to create a definition of trade justice Sustainable Public Procurement Donna Dagg (Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries) Currently a disconnect within the federal governments green procurement policy, it is heavily focused on recycling. Need to develop a strategy for fair trade and sustainable public procurement integration Future goals: CFTN & FTC goals and Agenda 2030 goals are well aligned. Support for procurers on fair trade label confusion. Allocating activities and resources to reach our desired goals. Quantifying the benefits of sustainable public procurement. Development of acts, policies, procurement agencies Fair Trade Flowers John Forsyth (Florists Supply) 80% of flowers sold in Canada and USA are imported Europe has the largest flower market and Africa is the largest supplier Flowers are not currently grown locally due to: climate, product attributes, cost. FLO farm benefits: large tenure, less worker turnover, quality, higher standard of living within community. Trade Policy Emma Moss (Dalhousie University), Ian Hudson (University of Manitoba) By making basic human rights and labour standards integral components of its trade policies and agreements, Canada could make a stronger contribution to sustainable development throughout the world. A more equitable prioritization of social, environmental and economic goals, achieved through such policies, could create market pressure to promote sustainable, fair trade practices as compared to conventional trade agreements. Sunday, February 26 th Keynote: Andres Gonzalez Aguilera, Manduvira Co-operative, Paraguay Maybe we won t change the world, but we can change ourselves and our community, and then, the world will change. We have learned not to wait for the solutions from someone else, if there is no opportunity, we can create it! Fair Trade Schools Workshop Torrye Mckenzie (CFTN), Melissa Dubé (Fairtrade Canada), Bev Toews (Olds High School), Sarah Hanif (Fair Trade Vancouver), Jenn Vanderlaan (McKay Public School), Amber Minor (McKay Public School) New Fair Trade School curriculum in development Magasin du monde project in Quebec is growing Student lead project to raise awareness and availability of fair trade products in schools Need a strategy to implement this project across other schools in Canada

9 Awareness and education activities are happening in schools and are being introduced into leadership conferences and other school focused workshops Promoting change at a younger age is essential to long term culture shift and impact Need increased participation of schools in Fair Trade Month Need to share testimonies from schools to increase program involvement Share more ways to get fair trade products into school (other than chocolate, coffee & tea) Fair Trade Sugar Martin Van Den Borre (La Siembra), Andres Gonzalez Aguilera (Manduvira Co-operative, Paraguay) SPP and FLO certifications address unique problems within small farming co-operatives Minimum price and social premiums Manduvira is a fair trade sugar co-operative in Paraguay. Working within the community with education as it s keystone. Focusing programs on youth to continue farming work within the community in the following generation Government has neither helped nor hindered work within the co-operative Where there are people, there will be corruption, it is important that checks balance but also that confidence is given to build trust and relationships Domestic Fair Trade: Where and How Does It Fit John Lindsay (McGill University), Nora Burkey (Saint Mary s University) Potential solutions. Domestic fair trade association. Agriculture justice project Gold standards employee practices & protection labour conditions fair prices Meal Alliance + push away practice. Food Chain workers alliance Sustainable Investment: The other side of the coin Avery Gottfried (CFTN/Fair Trade Vancouver) Funds come from: Government and institutional controlled Pension Plans, university of endowments, bank account interest, bonds, stocks, bank products Sustainable\ethical investment is an alignment of investments with personal values Approaches: Divestment, decarbonisation, re-investment, and engagement Ways this has/can happen: Fossil fuel divestment within Universities. Global fossil fuel divestment movement. Public policy and standards. Develop standards of sustainable investment. Credit union engagement Fair Trade Clothing Shannon Brown (Fairtrade Canada), Darryl Reed (York University0, Madison Hopper (Fair Trade Toronto) New textile standard within FLO Fairtrade and Organic Cotton: Can it be done? Master plan. Transition from ought to to have to to want to. Regulate (formal purchasing rules), cognitive ( just the way things are ), normative forces (rules of thumb) Green Campus Co-op is facilitating the process of buying fairtrade cotton in Canada Move away from event t-shirts to something re-wearable Official Development Assistance and Fair Trade Martin Van Den Borre (La Siembra), Andrea Kohut (Canadian Co-operative Association), Andres Aguilera (Manduvira Cooperative Paraguay) International assistance review process GAC priority Aid 4Ag highlights priorities Relocation of assistance funds to: Co-op investment (transition to organic production, youth inclusion, participation in global markets). Democratic member control (youth and women engagement) Education, training and information (seeding nurseries, economic initiatives)