Make Your Town a Fair Trade Town

Published October 18, 2007 @ 09:47AM PT

"How-to" toolkit and website now available to assist towns and cities to obtain official recognition for their Fair Trade commitment: www.fairtradetownsusa.org.

Asheville, NC (October 1, 2007) – In coordination with October's Fair Trade Month, the first U.S.-specific guidelines for becoming a Fair Trade Town or City are now available as part of the Fair Trade Towns USA campaign. Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. A key objective of the growing Fair Trade movement in the United States is to educate consumers about the importance of purchasing Fair Trade products. Local and national Fair Trade coalitions and advocates who work to support and grow the Fair Trade movement in the U.S. have collaborated on the Fair Trade Towns campaign, and have developed guidelines to meet the five goals to become a Fair Trade municipality. Following the example of the movement in Europe, called "Fairtrade Towns", the campaign strives to support local, grassroots Fair Trade initiatives by offering tools and resources to become a Fair Trade Town or City, thus growing the Fair Trade movement in the U.S.

To be recognized as a Fair Trade town, city, or community in the U.S., five goals need to be met including: the formation of a steering committee that meets regularly; availability in local stores, cafes, and other venues of a range of Fair Trade products that are either certified by TransFair USA or sold by retailers that are members of Fair Trade Federation; the use of Fair Trade products by a number of local organizations, such as places of worship, schools, hospitals and offices; attraction of media attention and visible public support of the local campaign; passage of a resolution supporting Fair Trade by the town or city council/governing body and a commitment to serve Fair Trade products at meetings.

Get Involved!
Local campaigns and Fair Trade Towns committees are sprouting up around the country, and perhaps there is already one active in your neighborhood! If not, there are many ways to get started, and Fair Trade Towns USA is here to help! The official launch of Fair Trade Towns is in coordination with Fair Trade Month events throughout October, and is supported by TransFair USA, Oxfam America, and Lutheran World Relief. The official website, www.fairtradetownsusa.org, which includes the Fair Trade Towns Toolkit, launches today.

For more information, contact Fair Trade Towns coordinator Sara Stender: by phone: 802.356.0551, or email: sara@fairtradetownsusa.org.