WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) and AGICES – Equo Garantito (Assemblea Generale Italiana del Commercio Equo e Solidale), together with altraQualità, Altromercato, AssoBotteghe, Chico Mendes, Equomercato, and LiberoMondo, have drawn up the “Manifesto of the World Fair Trade Week 2015,” which explains the meaning and values purpose of the event that will animate Milan from 23rd to 31st of May 2015. Here it is (or you can download here):
The World Fair Trade Week is the most important international event for Fair Trade. The next edition of this biennial event will be held in Milan, from 23 to 31 May 2015: for seven days the city will become the “Global Capital of Fair Trade.”
The Fair Trade movement started in the 60’s to promote an economic system based on justice – fair prices, better working conditions, transparent trade relations – and allow the economically marginalised producers of the South to improve the quality of their life. It is now gradually spreading among producers of the North, serving as a socially and environmentally sustainable economic model.
The focus of the week – represented by various events and taking different forms – will be to highlight the values and innovative meaning of Fair Trade. This will
The World Fair Trade Week and its contents, developed by the Fair Trade movement in 50 years of experience, will be relevant in the global debate about food production and distribution, which currently failed to take into account the point of view of small producers and the solidarity economy. be achieved in the city with the presence of hundreds of farmers, artisans, marketers, and advocates from around the world. They will testify the existence of companies and organisations whose production and commercial activities are committed to the pursuit of economic justice, respect of people and nature, contributing to the reduction of poverty, social exclusion and environmental destruction.
The concept of “responsibility” will be the theme of the Fair Trade Week, showing how Fair Trade organisations are able to ensure product excellence, virtuous commercial chain, and a development model that can really “feed” the world. These organisations also prove to be a valid support for consumers and institutions that are aware of the profound social significance of “consumption,” a solidarity to encourage just economic and production paradigms.
Two important events during the week: the 13th WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) Global Conference and Milano Fair City, the first World Fair Trade Exhibition.
One important topic of debate will be the influence few actors of the production chain have on “free market” – something that tends to reduce competition, natural and social biodiversity- as well as the role of producers in the South and in the North of the globe.
Fair Trade as a possible response to the economic crisis and to a dominating economic model, based on profit maximization, will be the common link among the various initiatives. Fair Trade products are not just good products. They represent an implicit criticism to the dominating economy, demonstrating that it is possible to produce, consume and save, while respecting social and environmental criteria, distributing profits throughout the production supply chain, taking care of small producers, their lands and their communities.
The main goal of the WFT Week, therefore, is to remind consumers and institutions, politicians and companies, that poverty, exploitation and social exclusion are not brought about by fate, but are the consequence of political and economic choices. And that solidarity economy “is good for everyone,” being a virtuous model for all, not only for small producers and consumers.
