The Journal of Fair Trade Society

So, we are on a mission now to explore all options as the Journal of Fair Trade Society!

Even before Open Access, the Journal of Fair Trade aimed to become a membership organisation. And the 100 or so early supporters who paid for access and as moral support need to be warmly thanked for their decision to become founding members!

Currently the Journal of Fair Trade Society is a small, informal body with a handful of members, individuals and organisations, signed up.
It’s easy to join and there is no screening process.
The Society doesn't yet have, but really needs good and effective ways to decide things, get advice and help – put simply more ‘boots on the ground’! We have had a preliminary Advisory Board of volunteers, and it is time to replace this with a group of volunteers to become the Journal of Fair Trade Society’s Founding Board.

The vision for the Society’s Founding Board and members is:

• To develop the Journal of Fair Trade Society as a membership organisation: bringing together people who think ideas matter, that thought and action in fair trade is important, and who care enough to help and want to redress wrongs in the world.
• To raise a core budget through membership dues and contributions/donations to stay viable.
• To develop and draw up appropriate rights, rules and structures to exist formally and offer benefits to members.
• To guide and secure the future of the Journal, promote the ideas it publishes and extend its influence.

We need your help. Let us know if you have time to support us in whatever way, role or time commitment you can make. We will find a perfect task or tell us if you know what you think we should do! 

Next Steps from the Journal of Fair Trade Meetings

JoFT Society members and supporters aim to meet every six months in May and November.

In November 2022 the Journal of Fair Trade Society had its Inaugural meeting. Here you can read the Nov 2022 Inaugural Meeting report . Here you can watch the Nov 2022 Keynote Address by Mohammed Elnaiem, University of Cambridge, on "Fair Trade In A New World Economic Order"

On 4th May 2023 the second Journal of Fair Trade Society was held. Here you can read the notes May 2023 JoFT Society Meeting report .

Here you can watch our guests Sylvia Kay and Tom Blickman, from the Transnational Institute, presentation and discussion on “Atypical Fair Trade. Can anything be traded fairly? The case of Cannabis.”

On 2nd Novembers 2023 the third Journal of Fair Trade Society was held. Here you can read the notes 2 Nov 2023 JoFT Society Meeting report .

From the Journal of Fair Trade Society 2nd November 2023 meeting you can watch the presentation from our key guest Dr Roger Van Zwanenberg, Founder of Pluto Journals, on “The Global Journal Marketplace, Open Access and Journal of Fair Trade’s Place Within it”.

During the Journal of Fair Trade Society 2nd November 2023 meeting discussion was held on “Could we be more than the sum of our parts?” and consultation meetings were held 18th January, 15th February and 14th March 2024. Output from these consultations were collated for discussion on 9th May 2024.

On 9th May 2024 the Journal of Fair Trade Society held its fourth meeting with supporters and members! This meeting addressed the future of the Journal of Fair Trade and the formal formation of a Journal of Fair Trade Society to reboot the thinking and ways we can all amplify the voices of the fair trade movement. We collated ideas and priorities from consultations (February-April) and shared a proposition/action paper for discussion and decision.

Here you can see three papers which formed the discussion on 9th May 2024:

JoFT - Futures, Finances and Activities May 2024 - Discussion Paper

Special JOFT Issue on The life, work and legacy of Franz van der Hoff

Pluto Journals Annual Impact Report 2023 JoFT