Peg Willingham is the Executive Director of Fairtrade America. Fairtrade’s mission to work with businesses, farmers and workers certifying products as ethically and sustainably sourced is more important than ever.
Listen to this podcast to hear Peg share her insights of the compounded effects of COVID-19 on many of the world’s poorest farmers; As a health and livelihood issue. She shares why we may need to reassess the value placed on our food:
“You think about a banana,” explains Peg. “It’s the most exported food in the world, it might have travelled thousands of miles and yet it’ll be cheaper than an apple grown 40 miles away.”
And how the private and public sectors play vital roles in ensuring a future we want.
Our conversation with Peg takes us around the world. Her own personal journey as U.S. Foreign Service officer, with tours in Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Colombia, saw her receive five Superior Honor Awards. But it was on one of these tours that her commitment to fair trade was cemented. Find out why a stop in Banana Company Town in Costa Rica would fuel her passionate support of people working in tough circumstances.
Find out about Peg’s personal journey – why Banana Company Town in Costa Rica – the ghost town that was left behind after corporate sort cheaper labour else where triggered her passionate focus on supporting people on the front line.
This conversation takes place during the UN General Assembly 2020, as part of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020.
Links
Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020
Editor’s Note:
This podcast is part of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020, a one-week, online conference (21 to 25 September) that builds on our recent online conference Business Fights Poverty Online 2020 (13 to 17 July) to drive forward connection, conversations and collaboration around how we rebuild better – how together we create an equitable and resilient world. The week consists of inspiring and engaging content, live events, peer networking and community-led learning. The week also builds on our Business and COVID-19 Response with Harvard Kennedy School Corporate Responsibility Initiative, and supported by DFID and a number of our corporate partners.
Each day, we will focus on a specific theme: Imagining the Future We Want (Monday); Creating an Equitable World (Tuesday); Helping People Survive and Thrive (Wednesday); Building Resilient Livelihoods (Thursday); Shaping System-Level Partnerships (Friday).
If you were unable to join these sessions you can access all of the recordings and summaries with a Digital Pass. You can watch the opening sessions and musical performances via the links on the event page.
