Last weekend, Edinburgh welcomed delegates from across the globe for the 18th International Fair Trade Towns Conference, a three-day event dedicated to strengthening the international movement for fair and sustainable trade.
The event opened on Friday 30 August with a reception at the City Chambers, chaired by Rachel Farey of the Edinburgh City Fair Trade Group. Among the speakers were Foysol Choudhury MSP, Labour’s spokesperson for Culture, Europe and International Development; Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron; Thembisile Mnisi from Drakenstein Municipality in South Africa; and Louise Davies from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.
Delegates also visited the Scottish Parliament, where they joined a Q&A session with Foysol Choudhury MSP and Sarah Boyack MSP.
The visit set the tone for the week, with Mr Choudhury opening the programme by reflecting on Scotland’s achievements: “In 2023, Scotland marked 10 years as a Fair Trade Nation, a milestone reflecting the dedication of communities, campaigners, and businesses working to make trade fair, just, and sustainable.
“Today, we continue to champion Fair Trade with pride, and I am delighted that Edinburgh is at the heart of that journey.”
This year’s conference theme, “Your Town, Our World: Fair Trade Communities & Local Action to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”, framed discussions on how local initiatives can contribute to global system change. Delegates took part in interactive workshops on climate action, wellbeing economies, youth engagement, digitalisation and the power of storytelling in driving social change.
Closing the weekend, Mr Choudhury added: “Fair Trade has always shown us that local action can drive global change, and the stories we are hearing here in Edinburgh prove just that.
“I am proud that Scotland is hosting this conversation, and I look forward to seeing the collaborations and commitments that emerge from this weekend.”
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