1. Follow up to the AGM and new WG on the Regional Structure
2. Encourage participation in the WGs
3. Upcoming winter meeting on GGD
4. Congratulations to Martin Rhodes on his election as MP in the UK Parliament and the need for more members of the Board
5. Resolution on Food in the GS
6. Leveraging Fair Trade for circular food systems: what can business and cities do?
7. Workshop at Ghent University: Diverse and Fair Economies
8. Members Meeting 6th November
9. International Fair Trade Towns Conference, Drakenstein
1. Follow up to the AGM and new WG on the Regional Structure
On the 20th June 2024, WFTO-Europe held its Annual General Meeting for 2024, which was a valuable opportunity for the network to meet and take important decisions on behalf of the region.
During the meeting, in fact, members approved budgetary expenses for 2023 and were presented with a provisional budget for 2024 and 2025, they approved the regional fees for 2025 and were presented with the Annual Report for 2023-2024, summarizing the main initiatives WFTO-Europe has been involved in for the past year.
In addition to that, members also voted on the composition of WFTO-Europe’s Board of Directors. During the AGM, in fact, Jaunjo Martinez (Oxfam Intermon) stepped down from the Board as his second mandate came to an end, and Caterina Occhio (SeeMe) was elected as EU representative to the Global Board, joining formally after Global’s AGM that took place in Cape Town in September.
The most important development, however, was that members present at the AGM also voted in favour of setting up a working group to examine the potential for reforming the regional structure of WFTO-Europe. The group will dig deeper into the pros and cons of reforming the regional structure and present the outcome of its work in a future AGM. The group currently consists of four members and have met twice to prepare scenarios for members to consider, which were finally presented at a members’ meeting in the beginning of this month. Further information about this and the next steps of this discussion can be found in the dedicated article below.
Relevant follow-up documents to the AGM can be found here.
2. Encourage participation in the WGs
In late spring/early summer, WFTO-Europe initiated the first meetings of sector-specific working groups aimed at strengthening members’ connections in the network and addressing emerging challenges. These are a valuable opportunity for members to exchange ideas and best practices, and relevant outcomes have already come out of the first meetings.
In the context of WF on Food, for example, the group decided to present a resolution to the Global Summit in Cape Town concerning food standards in the Guarantee System, while the Crafts Sector has exchanged interesting ideas on youth engagement.
We would therefore like to encourage members’ participation in the WGs emphasising the value that they can get from a closer interaction with like minded organisations in their own sector. Each of you should have been invited for a specific WG, depending on the products you make or sell, so please do not hesitate to respond to our invitations in case of questions.
Should you happen not to have been invited for any WG, please contact Chiara Marra at administration@wfto-europe.org, who will look into inviting you for the most relevant WG(s).
3. Upcoming winter meeting on GGD
WFTO-Europe is continuing the efforts led by the FTAO, including Fairtrade International, and SOLIDAR, in promoting a Global Green Deal (GGD).
In this context, on the 5th December, we will help organise a Conference at the EESC where the group will present our key policy proposals to international and EU high officials. This big event will be preceded by a Breakfast with EU ministries and a conference with like minded organisations working on similar advocacy files in the context of the EU to build critical mass around the GGD proposals.
4. Congratulations to Martin Rhodes on his election as MP in the UK Parliament and the need for more members of the Board
Martin Rhodes, member of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and previous Board member of WFTO-Europe was elected to the British Parliament following the UK’s elections of 4th July. Congratulations Martin!
Charles Sim, also representing the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, has been co-opted to the Board to replace Martin and make sure the number of Board members is kept at minimum three (as our Constitution dictates). This underscores the need for more members on the Board, both to have a more dynamic steering of the organisation and a better decision-making process.
Furthermore, in Board meetings since the AGM, Manfred Winkler (GLOBO) has been appointed President of the Board and Charles Sim has been appointed treasurer.
We once again encourage members to consider taking part in the Board. Meetings are 4-6 times a year, held online. If you would like more information in order to take a decision, please write to Mikkel at coordination@wfto-europe.org.
5. Resolution on Food in the GS
Members of the Food Sector reunited in the Food Working Group decided over the summer to present a resolution to the Global Summit in Cape Town regarding food criteria in the Guarantee System (GS).
The GS, in fact, does not currently include any criteria specifically relating to food. In some important markets for Fair Trade products, however, members are concerned that they might be accused of making false or misleading claims when selling food products under the WFTO label.
While members making food products often already comply with additional food-related criteria on top of the GS, e.g. from other standards or certifications, the Food Working Group argued that integrating such criteria directly into the GS would strengthen the WFTO label (as it would become more credible for food products). It was also argued that such criteria would make members better prepared for EU legislation that is expected in the coming years (in particular, but not only, the EU Deforestation Regulation).
The resolution tabled at the Global AGM of 2024 in Cape Town requested:
- Setting up a Working Group at Global level propose criteria on food for the GS.
- That the criteria should apply to both producers, processors and retailers alike (or at least that there should be criteria for each of these groups.
- Members from all regions to participate in the Working Group, so the criteria proposed will be balanced and consider the context of members from across the WFTO membership.
The resolution was approved by the Global membership present or represented at the AGM by an overwhelming majority voting in favour. The WFTO-Europe secretariat is following up with the Working Group to look at the next steps and on potentially supporting WFTO-Global with the setting up of the Working Group for proposing the specific criteria.
Should you be interested in joining the Food Working Group (at European level) or in knowing further details, please contact our coordinator, Mikkel (coordination@wfto-europe.org).
6. Leveraging Fair Trade for circular food systems: what can business and cities do?
At the Cape Town Summit, WFTO-Europe took the stage with an important message: cities and businesses have a crucial role to play in creating sustainable and circular food systems. The session, part of the AfriFOODLinks project, brought together innovators, entrepreneurs and local leaders to explore how Fair Trade principles can be leveraged to improve food security while protecting the environment.
The session kicked off with Luke Metelerkamp from ICLEI Africa, who set the tone stating that there’s a need to rethink the access to food in cities. Following, Prof. Emmanuel Mossay of the University of Lyon explained how the seven pillars of Circular Economy align with Fair Trade principles, making the two approaches natural allies. He highlighted the benefits of sustainable consumption habits and circular practices in creating jobs and reducing environmental impact.
The panel discussion that followed demonstrated this synergy in practice. Rozelle Abramson, founder of Fynbos Fine Foods, shared her journey of building a women-led business that addresses local unemployment through food upcycling. Despite their commitment to sustainability, public awareness remains low, and policy support is scarce, making it challenging to succeed in a competitive market. Paul Rubin, from the zero-waste grocer Nude Foods, echoed this sentiment, arguing that the consumer mindset has been shaped by decades of convenience and low prices. He highlighted the importance of re-educating people, which, for Nude Foods, means building a circular business that minimizes waste through reuse and recycle. Ntakoana Maema, from impact incubator Oribi, offered a broader perspective. Many of the small businesses in marginalized areas she works with are already engaging in circular activities; however, it requires not only knowledge and mentorship but also financial support and market access. Oribi aims to bridge this gap, ensuring that these initiatives are sustainable and impactful.
An excellent example of how these principles can be applied came from the partnership between the cities of Ebolowa in Cameroon and Bruges in Belgium. Together, they are working to strengthen the cocoa value chain through Fair Trade practices. The City of Ebolowa supports local cooperatives in processing cocoa into diverse products. Meanwhile, Bruges brings expertise and technology through a network of stakeholders to help improve production.
As the session drew to a close, Wilber Kakaire from Rikolto Uganda left the audience with a key takeaway: through AfriFOODLinks, 50% of their efforts are dedicated to women and youth, ensuring that these often-overlooked groups play a central role in the transformation of food systems.
As the world faces climate change and growing inequality, Fair Trade and circular economy practices offer a way forward. However, to scale these initiatives, cities, businesses, and governments must come together to build supportive infrastructure, share knowledge, and invest in the future.
7. Workshop at Ghent University: Diverse and Fair Economies
In September, Elena led a workshop called “Diverse and Fair Economies” at the Summer School on Environmental Justice & Transformative Futures of the University of Ghent. When Elena proposed this workshop the aim was to connect with young people while showing them that another way of doing business is real and that we already have concrete examples through our members.
Our participation lasted two days, and on the first one we introduced our work, our values and our mission. Later, we had a video call with our Italian member Girolomoni, where Giovanni Battista Girolomoni explained how they put in place the 10 principles of Fair Trade. He indeed shared with the 15 students his alternative way of doing business.
On the second day, we went for a tour, in the city of Ghent, of local activities that, even if not members of us, have similar visions to ours. We visited Akker en Ambacht (food) where Hadewijch told us how the cooperative was established by her dad and how they managed to create a space for people to get together while selling products that are local and/or Fair Trade certified. Later on, we arrived at Inslag (textile) where Olga welcomed us and presented the impact of the textile’s sector on people’s lives and the environment, and which are the possible alternatives that are already at our disposal.
We are happy to say that students were really curious about our work and the concrete alternatives that we propose. They indeed underlined the need of seeing practical examples. As WFTO-Europe, we are surely enthusiastic about this experience, and also because of this we want to start working more with young people through projects, Summer schools, lectures. We indeed believe that they can bring our mission even further.
8. Members Meeting 6th November
As was decided by the membership during the AGM in June, WFTO-Europe will involve members in a discussion on the future structure of us as a regional branch of WFTO. The Working Group set up for this purpose shared some potential future scenarios to compare with our current structure and invited members to give feedback during a Members’ Meeting by Zoom on November 6th.
During this meeting, the challenges we face were reviewed and the potential scenarios for restructuring were explained for comparison. About a third of the European members were present and shared their feedback and thoughts on the process, their preferences for scenarios and what areas of work the regional branch should focus on. On part of the WFTO-Europe Board as well as the secretariat we would like to thank you deeply for taking the time for this important discussion and for sharing your perspectives and feedback.
The meeting revealed, among other things, the wishes from members for WFTO-Europe to free up more time for direct contact and support as well as joint fundraising through projects funded by the EU, for example. Additional voices called for WFTO at Global level to work to provide more market access (e.g. by recognition of the label) and to simplify documentation processes for the Guarantee System.
It will be crucial to match these wishes with the scenario that best accommodates them. How much capacity does it require to help members expand the market for Fair Trade products in Europe? What kind of projects can WFTO-Europe participate in if the legal entity joining will have to be WFTO-Global (in case the WFTO-Europe entity in Belgium is dissolved)?
The WFTO-Europe Board will now look at the next steps. As was raised during the meeting, WFTO-Global has also set up a working group on Regional Sustainability and Governance for discussing whether the regional structure can be improved in all regions. The discussion taking place at European level will be useful for that working group in the longer term.
The minutes and recording will be shared with members shortly. Should you have any questions in this regard, please reach out to Mikkel (coordination@wfto-europe.org).
9. International Fair Trade Towns Conference, Drakenstein
Immediately following WFTO Global’s Cape Town Summit the International Fair Trade Towns Conference was hosted in Drakenstein during the weekend of 20-22 September. Our coordinator, Mikkel Kofod Nørgård, participated on behalf of WFTO-Europe and contributed as moderator of a workshop in the afternoon of the first day, Friday 20th.
The workshop centred on structuring sustainable food systems by utilising Fair Trade principles and approaches. It involved university students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) as well as a youth group attending the conference on behalf of the Fair Trade Town of Ghent (Belgium). The workshop began with a presentation from Dr. Carolin Hauser from Technical University of Nuremberg Georg Simon Ohm on consumers’ involvement in food sustainability based on initiatives as a Fair Trade University. This was followed by a presentation on the work of Dr. Frances Lewu of CPUT and his team on different methods for reducing water use in blueberry cultivation, which is wide-spread in the area of Drakenstein and Stellenbosch. To this, Mikkel added the Fair Trade perspective and suggested introducing local-added value processing, like making jams, instead of exporting the raw berries, as a way to create more jobs in the farmers’ communities and to increase the revenue of farmers and farm-workers. He further introduced the AfriFOODLinks project, which had rich insights to offer on this discussion, too. Before the open discussion part of the workshop, Obed Tum of WFTO-Africa & Middle East shared experiences from campaigning on Fair Trade in Kenya.
In the open discussion it clearly emerged that there is great interest from academics and students in turning their research into impact. For this they need advice from enterprises or organisations working on the ground or involved in campaigning on Fair Trade. It also seems likely that the work of connecting the know-how developed in research with end-users (farmers, artisans and different types of Fair Trade producers, for example) could be a strong component in research projects of universities going forward – this opens up for potential collaboration with academia that could improve both visibility (and recognition) of the Fair Trade Principles and contribute directly to the work of Fair Trade enterprises.
As job-creation and local-added value were key themes at the conference, the workshop yielded a fruitful discussion on promoting more processing of produce at the level of farming communities, as well as a brief exploration of obstacles to be overcome: Investment in equipment, providing know-how to build capacity, as well as trade barriers like additional tariffs or regulation on import of processed agricultural goods. These would be important aspects to look into as part of the Fair Trade movement’s work to provide market access for producers on terms so that they can provide decent livelihoods for themselves and their family. As such, the workshop was a good first step towards collaboration with academia to find useful solutions and approaches to more local added-value production.