2005
Oxfam hires Nancy Jones to create the first grassroots fair trade organization in the US with the hopes of sparking a movement.
2006
CFT becomes an independent 501(c) 3 fair trade non-profit organization with 24 founding members.
2007
The first World Fair Trade Day is held in Daley Plaza. CFT publishes its first newsletter and hosts Cecelia Appianim from Ghana.
2008
CFT launches the Chicago Fair Trade City Campaign and gives its first ChangeMaker award at GlobalFest.
2009
CFT City resolution is introduced in the City Council.
2010
City Council passed Fair Trade resolution. By year’s end, CFT has 70 members.
2011
Chicago is declared a fair trade city! CFT hosts a fair trade Valentine Chocolate bake-off.
2012
CFT is keynote speaker national fair trade college and towns conference.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
2013
Amirul Haque Amin visits in the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh that cost the lives of 1,134 apparel workers. DePaul becomes a fair trade designated university.
2014
Chicago passes an Anti-Sweatshop ordinance spearheaded by CFT. In January 2015, the ordinance goes into effect. CFT organizes the country’s first month-long fair trade holiday pop-up shop.
2015
Cook County passes an Anti-Sweatshop ordinance spearheaded by CFT that goes into effect in May. CFT hosts Chicago Student Summit for Fair Trade and Sweatfree.
2016
CFT’s World Fair Trade Day celebration in Chicago has the largest market to date, with 31 business members participating.
2017
CFT organizes Fashion Revolution Chicago, a week of activities and actions, including presentations by Kelsey Timmerman, best-selling author of Where am I Wearing? CFT meets Nasreen Sheikh who presents at Globalfest
2018
CFT organizes 10th annual World Fair Trade Day event: A Magnificent Mile of Fair Trade.
2019
Chicago hosts Fair Trade Campaigns national conference. CFT organizes first Fair Trade Pop-Up home and a Fair Trade Pop-Up bake shop at World Fair Trade Day event. Whitney Young is declared Chicago’s first Fair Trade School. CFT hosts Elizabeth Cline’s Conscious Closet book tour and forms a Conscious Closet Club.
2020
CFT hosts a virtual World Fair Trade Day event. CFT’s 7th annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop adds a virtual market. CFT’s Conscious Closet Club hosts 12 virtual events.
© Jessica Yurinko
2021
CFT partners with After School Matters and leads a Build Your Brand program on ethical entrepreneurship to teens throughout Chicago. We establish a permanent fair trade presence at the Andersonville Galleria, providing fair trade staples throughout the year. Student interns launch a podcast, Rethink Ethical. We host our 8th annual holiday pop-up shop, the most successful to date, generating great media coverage.


