LFTN Helps Organize First Farm Worker Conference on Fair Trade

LFTN is proud to be part of a working group organizing North America’s first meeting of farm worker groups on the topic of Fair Trade. The conference is tentatively set to take place in April 2007 in Owatonna, MN, home of Centro Campesino, the Upper Midwest’s only farm worker-run organization.

The idea for the conference arose at the Domestic Fair Trade Working Group meeting in La Farge, WI this August. This was the first major meeting of the domestic Fair Trade movement to include participation by multiple farm worker groups. While the farm worker representatives saw the incredible potential of a Fair Trade system to improve their members’ lives, they felt that they needed to consult with their members and broaden the participation of organizations in order to be truly equal partners.

This conference will have regional and continental elements. One goal is for a representative group of Upper Midwestern farm workers to comment on the Agricultural Justice Projects’ standards (en Espanol), which will be used in AJP’s labeling pilot project is based in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. The other goal is for farm worker leadership from across North America to form a common perspective on what they want from a domestic Fair Trade system. Working with LFTN on the organizing committee are Rosalinda Guillen of Community to Community Development, Richard Mandelbaum of CATA/Farm Worker Support Committee and Chela Vazquez of Centro Campesino.

This conference is a grassroots effort. We will need the help of the movement to help us do outreach and find funding for this historic event. If you are interested in participating or volunteering, lease e-mail us at info@localfairtrade.org.