📅 September 23–25, 2026 | University of Cologne, Germany
The Fair Trade International Symposium (FTIS) 2026, hosted by the Global South Studies Center (GSSC) and the Competence Center Fair Trade (CCFT), invites scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and producer representatives to explore the evolving challenges and opportunities for Fair Trade in a rapidly changing world.
Under the theme "Dynamics in an Unpredictable World", the symposium provides a vibrant, interdisciplinary platform for dialogue and collaboration across academia, policy, and practice. It aims to foster innovative research and practical solutions for sustainable, just, and inclusive trade systems.
Conference themes include:
- Dynamics in the Global South
- Dynamics in International Trade and in Fair Trade Supply Chains
- Dynamics in Land and Resource Use
- Dynamics in Political Discourses, Policies and Market Regulations
- Dynamics among Fair Trade Institutions, Consumers & Markets
FTIS 2026 will feature panel sessions, workshops, keynotes, and open forums designed to support collaborative knowledge exchange and co-creation of future pathways in Fair Trade and sustainability.
The Call for Panels is for applying to lead entire discussion or presentation sessions with multiple speakers.
The Call for Paper invites individual scientific contributions. In doing so, they specifically apply to a panel or thematic stream that matches the content of their paper.
The Call for Workshops invites interactive, practice-oriented sessions in which participants actively engage.
The FTIS offers an important platform for the promotion of scientific exchange on the topics of 'Fair Trade' and 'Sustainability'. At the same time, the format promotes dialog with policymakers and practitioners. For reserachers, the FTIS 2026 plays an important role in promoting research and knowledge exchange in the area of Fair Trade research. Researchers will be given the opportunity to present new findings and to discuss current developments in a multi-disciplinary setting. This offers room for discussion and for the development of innovative approaches and solutions to challenges in international trade, including future scientific collaborations.
For policymakers, practitioners, and producer-representatives the intensive two-and-a-halfday exchange will deepen insights in current developments affecting Fair Trade, in future policy measures and in pathways to further promote fair and sustainable production, trade and consumption. Especially, the scheduled workshops are meant to be an open space for multi-stakeholder interaction.
Organized by Prof. Dr. Boris Braun (Institute of Geography, University of Cologne) and Dr. Katharina Gröne (Social- & Cultural Anthropology, University of Cologne) and the team of the GSSC/CCFT, the FTIS 2026 is the main space for dialogue between research, politics, and practice.
