Fair Trade Towns

Under the leadership of Transfair Canada – our national fair trade certification body – committees across Canada are springing up to work toward having their communities designated officially as fair trade friendly.  There are currently six conditions that must be met to earn this recognition, including the local political authority (such as a municipal council) serving fair trade at their meetings, the local media carrying articles on fair trade, and local merchants selling fair trade goods.  It’s not that difficult to accomplish!

While fair trade towns are commonplace in Europe, they are a new phenomenon in North America, with only two such jurisdictions in Canada (one in Nova Scotia and one in Quebec).  In some cases, people have been able to create fair trade neighbourhoods, business zones and institutions, rather than towns.  A community-based committee carries the process forward,  ideally over the course of a year, meeting regularly to help officials, businesses, church and school leaders reach their fair trade goals, and then continues on into the future to monitor the situation and encourage new ways that their town can increase knowledge and sales of fair trade.

Read more about the Fair Trade Towns campaign on TransFair Canada’s website.