YFTAs Gathering in brussels
In May 2024, we gathered in Brussels to share our achievements, further develop our network, and welcome new people.
On the first day of our gathering, we specifically learned about gender inclusivity and how to implement it further into all our activities. Like in every other field, gender is a pressing issue in trade. Up to this day, women have less access to resources like land, credits, loans, education, and work. Only 25% of smallholder farmers and workers involved in Fair Trade are women! This is why we believe that gender mainstreaming is essential for creating inclusive and equitable environments where everyone's voices are heard and valued - in the world and in our movement. This not only ensures fairness but also maximises the potential impact of our initiatives. We aim to integrate gender equality and inclusion principles into every aspect of our work ⚧️
The second day of our gathering was all about sustainable food systems and why it needs to be kept on the agenda of the EU. We were pleased to have a session with experts from Oxfam in which we discussed why the Farm to Fork strategy is so important but also why it's currently delayed. In the afternoon, we were lucky to have an advocacy meeting to present our #BiteSizedChange campaign to Peter Schmidt, president of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Section (NAT) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). We emphasised the need for sustainable food systems and the involvement of the Global South. We also shared our disappointment with the fact that two young producers from Kenya and Ghana were not able to join our gathering because of the denial of their visas. To achieve a global just transition, we believe that people from the Global South need to be actively involved in decision-making processes!
The last day of our gathering was all the future of the YFTAs. We decided on internal organisation and workstreams and are excited for what’s to come.
We're thanking all the participants for their amazing contribution during the gathering 👏
