Largest Fair Trade Conference in North America Seeks to Transform Global Community

Boston -  From September 10-12, 2010, the Fair Trade Futures Conference will bring together entrepreneurs, students, advocates, faith community members, concerned citizens, interested individuals, and others in Quincy, MA for the largest Fair Trade event in North American history.

	Kevin Danaher, Co-Founder of Global Exchange

To be held at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy, MA, a LEED-certified venue, conference organizers have invited signature speeches from Kevin Danaher, Co-Founder of Global Exchange, Safia Minney, CEO of PeopleTree Fair Trade Fashion (Invited), and representatives of four producer organizations in the field of agricultural products and handmade items (Invited). Workshops, debates, site visits, discussions, social activities, and an exposition of 50+ Fair Trade vendors will educate and inspire about the holistic approach to business and poverty alleviation that Fair Trade provides.

 “For more than sixty years, Fair Trade Organizations have offered high quality products that create tremendous, positive change among the artisans and farmers worldwide,” says Carmen K. Iezzi, executive director of the Fair Trade Federation. “With the Fair Trade Futures conference, we look to explore the successes of and challenges in building continued momentum behind Fair Trade in North America.”

The 2010 event builds on the highly successful 2005 Futures conference in Chicago in which more than 750 entrepreneurs, consumers, students, activists, faith community members, and others in Chicago, IL.

The 2010 conference is made possible through the generous contributions of many sponsors and supporters, including Catholic Relief Services, Cooperative Coffees, Equal Exchange, the Fair Trade Federation, the Fair Trade Resource Network, Global Crafts, Green America, Handmade Expressions, the Presbyterian Church of the United States, SERRV International, Ten Thousand Villages Canada, Ten Thousand Village USA, and TransFair Canada.