Sustainable September: Retail Debate to be held at Royal Geographical Society

Blue & Green Tomorrow’s Sustainable September Retail Debate – where leading thinkers will debate the benefits and negatives of free trade and fair trade – will be held at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on September 10.

The Royal Geological Society, the UK’s learned society and professional body for geography, contributes to the understanding of sustainability issues. The organisation states that learning through geography, whether from formal learning or experimentally from travel, fieldwork and expeditions, helps us to be more “socially and environmentally sensitive, informed and responsible citizens”.

The event, which is part of the month-long celebration of sustainability, will see four speakers arguing for and against the motion, “Free trade trumps fair trade in helping developing economies”.

Over the course of the debate the Fairtrade Foundation, which licences the use of the Fairtrade mark in the UK, and the Rainforest Alliance, which certifies products that meet certain environmental and social standards, will argue that fair trade is more effective. On the opposing side, Sam Bowman, research director at the Adam Smith Institute, Britain’s leading libertarian thinktank, and Linda Whetstone, chairman of Network for a Free Society and board member at the Institute of Economic Affairs, will argue in favour of free trade.

The Retail Debate is part of a series of debates exploring sustainability, with others focussing on energy, tourism and investment. Sustainable September will conclude with an all-day conference being held at Westminster’s Central Hall on September 30. Book your place at the Sustainable Retail Debate here.

Further reading:

Siemens Crystal to host Sustainable September Energy debate

Sustainable September: Royal Geographical Society to host Investment Debate

Museum of London to host Sustainable September Tourism Debate

What is Sustainable September?

Introducing: Sustainable September