Campaign

Fair Trade Challenge

Over the years as Fair Trade Manitoba has been working to engage Manitobans in fair trade, one of the most successful (and fun) tools we have used to promote awareness has been the One-Month Challenge. A simple, but effective challenge, where participants make a point to purchase and use fair trade coffee, tea, and chocolate for 30 days. Prizes, contests, a chance to try something new OR to be supported in something you believe strongly in…..not to mention, you are encouraged to eat ethical chocolate for an entire month! Our success has seen nearly 10 000 registrants over the years, with consistent interest from both fair trade enthusiasts and newbies. In the interest of maintaining such success while still growing and keeping dynamic, Fair Trade Manitoba is pleased to present: The Fair Trade Challenge.

Sign Up for the Fair Trade Challenge

Individual Sign Up or Group Sign Up

The Fair Trade Challenge is going to be a blast! Beginning on Valentine’s Day (February 14) and concluding on March 15, the Fair Trade Challenge still promotes consumer choice and inspires ethical purchasing. The build-up and promotion of this campaign will encourage participants to consider the producer behind their Valentine’s Day treats. This year’s participants will be asked to be creative with how to effectively confront normative purchasing practices.

The core challenge will remain the same: consume Fair Trade tea, coffee, and chocolate for 30 days. However, along with the new timing and name, we will offer our participants the opportunity to find the right “challenge” for each individual or group. This year Fair Trade Manitoba will be featuring different types of alternative challenges:

Core Challenge: fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate

1. Office Challenge: fair trade coffee, tea Bring fair trade to your office. Offer fair trade coffee and tea to your colleagues and clients. Get some of your staff on board as well and sign up as a group. If your office beverages are through a contracted provider, ask them if they offer fair trade – you may be surprised! Fair trade loose leaf tea is available as is fair trade in keurig K-cups. Talk to your colleagues about why you’re doing the challenge or bring in a speaker from MCIC to do a presentation (book early). Choose a day and make it a “fair trade coffee break”, tell us about it and you may be eligible for free samples for your break!

2. Baker Challenge: fair trade baking products Bake fair for 30 days. Throughout the Challenge, challenge yourself to use as much fair trade baking products as you can. Stock up on fair trade chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, sugar, shredded coconut, dried fruit and have fun cooking up an ethical storm! Check out our online guide for ideas where to find these products. Your baking this year can be good for you and good for the world. Submit your favourite fair trade recipe and you could win a Fair Trade Baker’s prize package!

3. School Challenge: be fair aware for 3 min. a day Register your classroom, youth group, or social justice club, and do at least 30 EASY fair trade awareness activities that take less than three minutes each (i.e. make a school announcement with a fair trade fact). Do one each day or have each student sign up for the easy fair aware activity that they would like to do – they will probably want to do more than just 30. Take a look at the Fair Trade Challenge kit for more ideas on fun ways to learn about fair trade. Click here for a long list of ideas to be fair aware with your classroom for three minutes a day.

4. Holiday Challenge: think fair, buy fair and celebrate fair Have a Fair Trade Valentine’s Day!

• When giving out treats, try to make the chocolate fair trade certified.
• If you’re buying flowers for someone, choose fair trade roses this year. We’ve found some Winnipeg flower shops who carry Fair Trade: -Ann’s Flowers & Gifts -Freshcut Downtown -Generation Green at The Forks Market -The Floral Fixx -Ufloria
• Why not try fair trade sugar if you’re baking sweets for your sweetheart?
• Fair Trade wine is a romantic choice! Use the Manitoba Liquor Marts website to see what’s available in this category.

…or make your own challenge!

This will continue to be set up as a “Do-It-Yourself” challenge with ideas, prizes, support and resources offered through Fair Trade Manitoba. But the goal remains to change a way of thinking about purchasing; it’s about choices.