The annual business platform heads to the Ghana city of Accra this year for the event taking place from 22 to 26 November. The Fairtrade Convention was established to provide small-scale African producers, international traders, policy makers, party organisations and Fairtrade stakeholders with a means to discuss and improve trade conditions for Africa’s agriculture sector.
The summit has a full agenda mapped out, where delegates will be kept on their toes as they discuss and formulate new means to improve the lives of Africa’s farmers and employees. The theme for this year’s conference is Effective Trade Partnerships for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa, and the speakers at the event will deliver presentations on topics such as climate change, agriculture research and best practices, among others. There will also be smaller discussions on key aspects of small-scale farming such as exploiting market opportunities and understanding micro finance in a turbulent economic climate.
The conference will also include for the first time a Fairtrade and Organic Expo where delegates will be able to network within the industry, establish and form new partnerships, as well as conclude business transactions that will benefit their enterprises as well as their communities. Exhibitors will be provided with booths in an open-plan space for exhibiting, while smaller cordoned-off sections will be available for private business discussions. An excursion has also been arranged where delegates will be taken to Fairtrade farms and will be able to see first hand the challenges faced by Africa’s smaller farmers, as well as how Fairtrade assists these entrepreneurs in realising their dreams and uplifting their communities through business.
Attendees at the event include African producers and farmers, industry traders and professionals, key government policy makers, NGOs and other Fairtrade partners, and speakers at Africa Fairtrade Convention 2011 include Patricia Alexander of Shared Interest Society, Larry Attipoe of SNV Zimbabwe, and Prosper Komla Bissi of NEPAD, among others.
For more information, contact conferences@fairtradeafrica.net
