FTF Conference Highlights

April 2009

By Sophie Verdon

Fair Trade Federation kicked off its 15th year anniversary with a wonderfully successful annual conference that happened the weekend of March 27th.  165 people from several different countries including Canada the US, Guatemala, Uganda, and so many more participated in the conference and displayed their products which ranged from coffee to arts and handicrafts. On Saturday, producers were invited to exhibit their work; groups and vendors such as Bead for Life (Jewelry from Uganda), Global Crafts (artisan work from all over the world), North Country Fair Trade (t-shirts made in Latin America) amoung many others were able to share their art and promote their businesses.

Some of Coop Coffees’ members made it to Portland for the conference. Lee Wallace and Mel Meegan of member-roaster Peace Coffee gave a workshop on competition, certification, and the participation of conventional companies in the Fair Trade market. As the director and marketing coordinator of a relatively small roaster that works with 100% Fair Trade, organic coffee beans, Lee and Mel are quite familiar with all the challenges – and rewards – that come with trying to run a successful business without sacrificing core values and principles. FTF’s Executive Director Carmen Iezzi was pleased to see that their talk “brought forward so many issues that all FTF members are facing now. Hearing the wisdom of coffee folks was key for FTF members and other participants in other sectors, because they have been facing these challenges for so long. Lee and Mel's advice to know yourself and to be true to who you are as an organization was key as the focus of the conference was putting ideas into action. We hope that many more folks working in commodities will join us next year in Boston!"

David Funkhouser of TransFair USA spoke about his work in certification and offered an interesting reflection on the future of Transfair. The licensing organization would like to propose ways in which FTOs can better engage themselves in the broader movement.

FTF announced the launching of a new awards program at the 2009 conference, with 4 different categories (Best Public Education Program in 2008, Excellence in Product Design, Most Positive Change Created in a Producer Community in 2008, Outstanding Service to the Fair Trade Community).

Cooperative Coffees was nominated for Best Public Education Program in 2008 because of the recently launched Fair Trade Proof project that allows the public to trace coffee beans all the way back to the farming cooperative from which they were bought. The criteria for this award were: a) ability to generate interest in Fair Trade, b) accessibility, c) duplicability, d) bringing Fair Trade to new communities and e) being in line with FTF principles and values. Even though Coop Coffees didn’t manage to pull in enough points to be out fellow-importer and ally Equal Exchange (who was nominated for its Interfaith Program), it was nevertheless an honour to be considered for the prize!

Here are the winners in the other categories:

• Excellence in Product Design: One World Projects Recycled Tire Bags;

• Most Positive Change Created in a Producer Community in 2008: Global Goods Partners work with Ikamva Labantu in South Africa;

• Special Award: Outstanding Service to the Fair Trade Community: SERRV International.

The conference kicked off FTF’s 15th year anniversary. Continuing in their goal to educate consumers and deepen Fair Trade, in 2008 FTF launched their new Strategic Plan which is open to the public on their website. This complete plan includes FTF’s history, mission, values, goals, and a lot more. FTF wants to remember its members that Fair Trade should always be at the heart of way they do. FTF works to promote Fair Trade values and to be sure that its members are committed only to Fair Trade.

If you’d like to see more or read more (photos, PPT presentations, links to the participant’s websites) about last month’s conference, visit FTF’s conference website here.

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