The event was hosted by Fairtrade International and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee.

Bringing together policymakers, civil society, businesses, farmers, and workers, the conference focused on how public policies can help build fairer global agri-food supply chains, and how governments, both as regulators and partners, can help turn bold commitments into meaningful change.

From cocoa farmers and union representatives sharing the urgent pressures they face, to government officials outlining regulatory pathways, and business leaders showing what corporate responsibility looks like in practice, each speaker contributed crucial insights, real-world stories, practical strategies, and genuine commitments.

The conference also highlighted strong voices from civil society and the private sector. Verena Aichele (DM Germany), Solomon Boateng (Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union (KKFU)), and Francesca Monteverdi (Oxfam Belgium) offered a critical lens on trade justice, calling for robust policies that truly protect workers and farmers.

We were honoured to hear from Leonard Mizzi (DG INTPA, European Commission), Charlotte Bernhard (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands), Pamela Rocha (Embassy of Ecuador in Belgium), and Michael Ekow Amoah (Ghana COCOBOD) on the role of governments as regulators. Their session explored how coherent legal frameworks can foster enabling policy environments for living incomes and wages, expertly moderated by FTAO Board member, Heidi Hautala.

Shifting focus to governments as partners in stakeholder collaboration and support, Philipp Wagnitz (Lidl International), Benjamin Ayogdaa Akane (Kukuom AGL Cocoa Cooperative Farmers & Marketing Union), Charles Snoeck (IDH), and Miguel Zamora (International Coffee Organisation) shared inspiring examples of how multi-stakeholder cooperation can drive progress. This discussion was skillfully guided by Honore Strong Johnson from IDH.

The Fair Trade Advocacy Office would like to convey a special thank you to Belgian Minister of Mobility, Climate and Environmental Transition, Jean-Luc Crucke, for his powerful closing remarks reminding us that fair trade is not a luxury, it is a human right.

Our gratitude also goes to our colleagues at Fairtrade Belgium for making this event possible, to Abubakar Afful for expertly guiding the day’s discussions, and to all participants for their probing questions, on-the-ground experiences, expert insights, and powerful calls to action. 

At the Fair Trade Advocacy Office, our commitment remains steadfast: to champion policies that ensure all smallholder farmers and agricultural workers, within and beyond the EU, can earn a decent and dignified livelihood from their labour.

Now is the time to move from commitment to action. As FTAO's Virginia Enssle stated: “Let’s start small, let’s start simple, but above all, let’s start.” 🌱