As part of the Victorian Fair Trade Festival, starting on Saturday, the B2B Fair Business Breakfast Series offers business a chance to learn why progressive organisations choose to be a fair trade workplace.
The B2B Fair Business Breakfast Series will bring the conversation of Fair Trade, sustainability, ethical production, social responsibility in the workplace and the future of food and consumption.
It looks at the challenges in being an ethical consumer and business, in creating a landscape for sustainable consumption and the debates the issues that surround the socially responsible business.
The series of talks will be an opportunity to engage discussion about the importance of a fair-trading system and social responsibility and the role that both business and consumers play in the global landscape.
The talks will leave people challenged and excited about the future of business and consumption
The quarterly Business-to-Business Breakfast talks will bring the conversation of fair trade, sustainability, ethical production and the future of consumption to the forefront.
The breakfast will be held at The Edge, Federation Square Melbourne, on Friday May 17 from 7:00am arrival for a 7:30 start, and conclude at 9am with bookings at http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=46638
Speakers at the B2B Breakfast will be:
Natalie Dillon Co-Founder – 3Fish Ethical Clothing & Merchandise
Natalie co-founded, with husband Marty, 3Fish, an ethical clothing company and provider of sustainable clothing and merchandise.
3Fish, winner of the 2011 United Nations World Environment Day Award, and the Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Award, works with thinkers and doers, such as The Body Shop, John Butler Trio, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Mambo, World Vision, Compassion, Origin Energy, RMIT and LaTrobe University.
3Fish has produced more than 100,000 Fair Trade and organic cotton products, using organic dyes and inks, recycled packaging, and producing garments carbon neutral, saving an estimated 11.3 tonnes of toxic chemicals being used.
Philip Battermham Associate Dean – Faculty of Science University of Melbourne
Phil Batterham is the Provost’s Fellow Student Experience at the University of Melbourne.
His focus in on the creation of curricular and co-curricular experiences that encourage students to develop leadership and global citizenship skills.
Phil has worked extensively with NGO’s and in 2010 was the Australian convenor of the United Nations DPI NGO Conference the Advance Global Health: Achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
He also served as adviser for the student organisers of the recent World Model conference.
Phil worked with student leaders in moving the University of Melbourne to become a Fair Trade institution.
As a researcher, Phil works on the control of insect pests that plague global agriculture.
Daniel Mackey Business Development & Policy Manager – Fairtrade Australia
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
Fairtrade certification addresses the injustices of conventional trade, and enables the poorest, weakest producers to have more control over their lives.
Daniel’s position at Fairtrade Australia deals with sustainable development and relationship management, project coordination, campaigning and policy research.
Ian Jones Project Manager – RMIT Social Enterprise Group
Ian Jones is a Project Manager in the RMIT Social Enterprise Group, working with and mentoring students to develop social and environmental enterprises as part of the RMIT SEEDS Changemaker Program.
He has been a part of promoting Fair Trade at RMIT University since early 2009 when he began his studies at the university, and is a staunch advocate for social procurement and the power of business to create change in the world.
Ian is also the Executive Director of the Agile Development Group, with a scope that ranges from developing and delivering rural income generation and food security programs in Cambodia, to consulting on sustainable livelihoods and inclusive business in Uganda.
In his spare time he can be found mainstreaming human rights conversation through delivering Artists for Human Rights and Action’s Visualising Human Rights Art Competition, or as a mentor for the School for Social Entrepreneurs Accelerator program.
Fair Trade Festival runs from May 4 to 19 and for more information go to http://www.moralfairground.com.au/
