Conference

In the capital city of the world’s second Fair Trade Nation, Edinburgh will be celebrating both the city’s 900th anniversary, and the 21st year as a Fairtrade Community. Together, at this special event, we will explore the theme Your Town, Our World: Fair Trade Communities & Local Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

We all know that current global issues like poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis show that conventional economic approaches are failing, and that Fair Trade offers a sustainable alternative. Fair Trade enterprises are leading the way in demonstrating that balancing financial success with the wellbeing of people and the planet is possible.

Photo of campaigners holding a Choose Fairtrade banner on a wet, cobbled street
Image from https://scottishfairtrade.org/

This 18th International Fair Trade Towns Conference gives us the opportunity to come together, following the success of last year’s conference hosted in Drakenstein, South Africa, and to plan our next steps as grassroots campaigners. The principles and practices of Fair Trade support the Sustainable Development Goals, community wellbeing and enterprise, and an equitable and sustainable world. As a Fair Trade campaigner and activist, your contribution is essential this year in Edinburgh as we tackle the challenges we face as a movement, along with the local success stories, and the story of Fair Trade as vital to a new global economy.

Let’s come together on 30-31 August 2025 in Edinburgh from around Scotland and across the world as local changemakers ready to gain the support needed for systemic change and for global sustainable development.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and invite representation at this year’s International Fair Trade Towns Conference in Edinburgh from communities around the world, especially from people whose voices may often go unheard. We are also planning to live stream and / or film the sessions where this is possible, and more information will follow about this. Everyone is welcome.

You can click here to access the current programme, but as speakers are confirmed, this will be updated and change over time. Please note also that the welcome event takes place on the evening of Friday 29 August, and it would be great to have as many delegates as possible there.

Your Town, Our World: Fair Trade Communities & Local Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Venue

Programme

ticket Fees

  • High Income Country – £15
  • Middle & Low Income Country – Free
  • Speakers, panellists & contributors – Free
  • Students & young people (14-28) – Free

Note: if you will have difficulty accessing the conference for financial reasons, please email ifttc@scottishfairtrade.org to let us know, and the fee may be waived. If the fee is waived, we will send you a discount code to use when registering. We cannot support you with travel or accomodation costs.

Travel Insurance

SPONSORS

We would like to thank the following sponsors for making this year’s conference possible: City of Edinburgh Council, University of Edinburgh, the Scottish Government, Scotmid Co-op, the Fairtrade Foundation. And Hand Up Events for sponsoring the social programme.