Every year, WFTO embarks on campaigning efforts to promote the Fair Trade business model across the world. Campaigning has always been one of the core activities we have dedicated ourselves to since our foundation: we see our organisation as a movement of people with the same values to defend.  Justice, equity and fairness – these have always been the cornerstones of our global community, making it grow stronger and more united. Through our campaigns, we have been reaching different audiences and making our call for social, business and political change.

Photo credit: Soap N Scent

More than a verification system: we are a movement 

When WFTO was born in 1989, the idea was simple but the goal was massive: to become a leading organisation that could unite the voices of those businesses that put values before profits at all costs, worldwide. 

Today, we can proudly say that WFTO represents +400 enterprises that embrace environmental justice and fairness. We have seen our community growing, expanding and bringing a new vision for the whole movement, pioneering innovative practices and bringing social and environmental change. We witness new members joining from all over the world, recognising the value of our verification system and of our global community.

During these years working closely with SMEs and entrepreneurs worldwide, we have seen like-minded businesses joining for different reasons: the desire to better their practices following our vision, the interest in the label, and the importance of having a network. All of them, however, shared one need: to feel stronger in their voices by the simple fact of being part of a bigger community with a similar ambition to change our economic system. Beyond receiving verification of their business models, SMEs and other enterprises are drawn to WFTO as a space where individuals come together, finding different solutions to their challenges as a collective and with the same desire to make good entrepreneurship a tool for positive change. 

Photo credit: Mitra Bali

Representing SMEs and businesses that do good

Entrepreneurs are increasingly seeking recognition for their efforts to design their businesses for positive change. But representation at advocacy and policy levels has often gone hand in hand with it – how can a business survive without regulations that facilitate, support and improve the position of SMEs in our economy? 

This is where WFTO steps in: unlike other verification and certification systems, WFTO actively brings their interests to the forefront, with campaign activities, investing funding, resources and staff into raising awareness about sustainable development and into amplifying the voices of SMEs and Fair Trade Enterprises. 

If trade is politics, Fair Trade should be everywhere. It means that Fair Trade is not just about business; it’s about politics and social justice, and about the vision that we have for our present and future economic system. 

Campaigns as a tool  

At WFTO, we believe campaigns are a powerful tool for sustainable development because they allow us to make stakeholders resonate with our message, engage with a diverse audience, and mobilise collective action towards positive change. When our messages reach not only entrepreneurs, producers, farmers and NGOs but also civil society, we are able to build a stronger coalition of advocates who can work together to support policy change, promote ethical consumption, and drive systemic transformation.

In 2023, we organised four impactful campaigns across social media platforms, reaching a global audience and sparking meaningful conversations within and beyond the WFTO community. These campaigns covered a range of crucial topics, including fair practices in fashion systems, gender justice, and our overarching call for a revolution in business. By focusing on these key issues, we aimed to promote dialogue and advocate for systemic change in the way businesses operate but also to raise awareness about what is normalised in business while still being not right and just. 

In 2024, we have decided to double down on our commitment to catalysing change through campaigns. This year, our focus is on reinforcing our scope of action and addressing business models that prioritise positive impact. Our #BusinessRevolution campaign aims at spreading that message, challenging norms and inspiring businesses to adopt practices that have fairness, sustainability, and responsibility at the heart of their operations. By rallying our community and allies around these important issues, we have been noticing new movements supporting our calls for change. 

Photo credit: El Puente (1,2), Girolomoni (3)

More than campaigns

Every year, WFTO invests parts of its budget into the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), based in Bruxelles, Belgium. The FTAO’s goal is to actively bring the interests of the Fair Trade movement to policy discussions. Even though they are based in Brussels and have the mandate to advocate for EU policies in support of trade justice, they ensure that their position reflects the interest of the whole Fair Trade movement globally, not only in the EU. 

Besides, our WFTO-Global staff and Board participate in summits across the world, but also events where we can bring the interests of Fair Trade Enterprises and SMEs to higher-level discussions to promote their development. This 2024, we want to go bigger, and louder and invest more time and resources into making advocacy an integral part of what WFTO does and stands for.