The Call for Papers and Workshops is open and ends on February 15, 2026. 

Information on the submission of workshops can be found below.

When submitting a paper, authors are encouraged to identify a relevant thematic stream (A-E) or suitable panel (1-4) for their paper. Presenting a paper requires participation in the conference, either online or in person (conference fee EUR 250; reduced and online conference fees will be announced later). The participants' contributions will each last approximately 15–20 minutes, followed by a discussion.

Conference registration will be possible starting February 1, 2026.

Requirements for paper submission:

  • a meaningful title

  • the code (number or letter) of the thematic stream or panel to which the paper relates

  • name and institution of the presenting author

  • indication of whether participation is planned in person or online

  • 3–5 keywords and an abstract of a maximum of 300 words

 

The Fair Trade International Symposium (FTIS) will take place as a hybrid event from September 23 to 25, 2026 at the University of Cologne, Germany.

All proposals must be submitted by email to ftis-2026(at)uni-koeln.de.

Thematic Streams:

  • (A) Dynamics in the Global South
  • (B) Dynamics in International Trade and in Fair Trade Supply Chains
  • (C) Dynamics in Land and Resource Use
  • (D) Dynamics in Political Discourses, Policies and Market Regulations
  • (E) Dynamics among Fair Trade Institutions, Consumers & Markets

For more information on the thematic streams, please read the Conference Theme.

 

Preorganized Panels:

(1) The AfCFTA as a Regulatory Bloc: Navigating EU Due Diligence Laws for African Fair Trade Supply Chains

(2) When the Map Moves: The Changing Dynamics of Fair Trade between North and South

(3) Transformative Sustainability Education for Social and Ecological Justice

(4) Using Evidence to Assess the Impact of Voluntary Sustainability Schemes in the Global South

(Additional panels will be announced by January 23, 2026.)

 

Workshops

A workshop is a working meeting that focuses on a specific area related to the conference themes. Workshop proposals should be approximately 500 words in length. The proposal should include a brief overview of the research, teaching, or practice area to be addressed, explain how it relates to the conference themes, and provide a summary of the planned activities and the expected participants of the session, including a time schedule. Workshops may last a maximum of 90 minutes. Workshops will take place exclusively in person and will be conducted in English. An extension to two slots (3h) is also possible.

Accepted papers and workshops for FTIS 2026 will be announced after the submission deadline.

If you have questions regarding the above process, please send an email to ftis-2026(at)uni-koeln.de.