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, Ghana 2011 Kumamoto, Japan 2011 Poznan, Poland 2012 Wolfville, Canada 2007 Saarbrucken, Germany 2009 Rome, Italy 2005 Yarra, Australia 2006 Sauda, Norway 2006 Neustadt, Austria2007 Cordoba, Spain 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark 2008 Alfenas / Poços de Caldas, Brazil 2008/2013 Malmo, Sweden 2006 Clonakilty, Ireland 2003 Gent, Belgium 2005 Media, USA 2006 Hiiu District, Estonia2014 Groningen, Netherlands 2009 Tampere, Finland 2009 14 cities, France 2009 Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica 2009 Dunedin, New Zealand 2009 Differdange, Luxembourg 2011 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 GLOBAL NORTH National FTT orgs/coalitions (Presently in 22 countries with FTTs + an additional 8) Int. Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee (Int. FTT Ambassador + 6 others) National (Regional) FTT Coordinators (Presently 43 representing 33 countries) GLOBAL SOUTH Regional FTT Committees (Yet to be developed presently FTTs in Ghana, Costs Rica & Brazil Latin America) 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 campaigner groups. 2. Establish direct communication lines between the Steering Committee and local groups, e.g. Fair Trade Town Steering Groups, WFTO members etc. 3. Further develop the existing international network of Fair Trade Towns and support all new national initiatives. 4. Develop and protect the concept of Fair Trade Towns while maintaining common ground and an identity. 5. Create and participate in dialogue with different stakeholders of the Fair Trade movement. 6. Raise funds for its work. Bruce Crowther, Garstang, The FIG Tree (UK) Katharina Beelen, Sustainable Food Coordinator, Belgium Adam Gardner, Communities Campaigns Manager, UK Billy Linstead Goldsmith, National Coordinator, USA Ulisses Ferreira de Oliveira, Poços de Caldas, Brazil Tadeusz Makulski, National Coordinator, Poland Tatsuya Watanabe, National Coordinator, Japan

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 NORTH WFTO Europe WFTO Pacific Rim FT Country Networks Worldshop s Networks Fairtrade Country LI Fair Trade USA Others GLOBAL FAIR TRADE PLAYERS WFTO FAIRTRADE INTERNATIONAL Fair Trade Advocacy Office GLOBAL SOUTH WFTO Latin America WFTO Africa WFTO Asia Fairtrade Africa& others CLAC NAPP Others

Producer organizations and the Fair Trade Towns Campaign Capacity building opportunities. Promoting Fair Trade. Domestic market access for FT products

Thank you Bruce Crowther, International Fair Trade Towns Ambassador Tadeusz Makulski, WFTO Representative for Fair Trade Towns 22