Program areas at Fair Trade Federation
The Fair Trade Federation Annual Conference and Expo is an annual gathering of around 250 employees, owners, and advocates from over 150 fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and organizations from the US, Canada, Europe, and more. The event not only connected fair trade enterprises to create authentic business relationships, but helped drive sales and build capacity to be successful in an increasingly challenging and competitive marketplace. Highlights included keynote speeches from leaders in fair trade, breakout sessions regarding business tools and fair trade topics, as well as a fair trade expo, which is a wholesale showcase of beautiful products from around 50 verified fair trade enterprises.
Membership Verification The backbone of the Fair Trade Federations work is the verification of fair trade practices of both new members and all current members, which provides a mark of trust for their products in the marketplace. Using the FTFs code of practice as a guide, applicants are screened against all 9 fair trade principles. Existing members are reverified annually, assuring their practices are meeting the standards set in the code of practice, and continued improvement over time.
FTF Member Hub The FTF Member Hub serves as a forum for all FTF members to connect, exchange ideas, and communicate/develop the impact of their work. The Member Hub also facilitates the exchange of practical advice to help develop and grow their fair trade enterprises. In 2023, the Federation switched platforms for the FTF Member Hib from Slack to Circle, allowing for more functionality including courses, streaming, and document access.
Online Guides and Activities educating about and promoting fair trade enterprises: In 2023 the Federation worked to educate consumers and retailers on the value of verified fair trade brands (especially in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic) by creating a Holiday Gift Guide.