Six European capital cities have earned the Fairtrade (Fair Trade in North America) designation: London, Paris, Copenhagen, Brussels, Rome and Dublin. The designation shows a commitment by the local governance and community to using and promoting as many fair trade products as possible.
North America has a growing number of cities trying to attain the designation. Chicago City Council recently passed a Fair Trade resolution, the first step to becoming North America’s largest Fair Trade city. It would join San Francisco and12 other towns and cities in North America to attain the designation.
Who Regulates Fairtrade?
There are two distinct bodies overseeing Fairtrade. The main organization responsible for overseeing the labelling of products as Fairtrade is the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). The Fairtrade Foundation, the United Kingdom representative in FLO, designed the criteria for the Fair Trade Towns initiative. TransFair USA is the American representative in FLO and oversees the Fair Trade town program in the U.S.
The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) represents the Fair Trade chain from production to sale. Members must have a 100% commitment to Fair Trade and adhere to 10 principles laid down by the WFTO. World Fair Trade Day (May 8, 2010) is an annual awareness initiative organized by the WFTO.
The Brief Beginnings of Fairtrade
The Fairtrade movement began in 1946 when Edna Ruth Byler imported crafts from Puerto Rico and sold the products out of her car. The most visible Fairtrade product on the shelves today is coffee. In 1988, coffee became the first agricultural product to be certified; it was shipped from Mexico to Dutch supermarkets. One of the basic requirements of a city or town to achieve the Fairtrade designation is to commit to using Fairtrade products whenever possible. For example, the town council commit to serving only Fairtrade coffee at meetings and functions.
Currently, products from every realm can achieve the Fairtrade designation from clothing to toiletries and home furnishings to food. Fairtrade towns and cities commit to selling as many Fairtrade and ethically-sourced products as possible in their shops. Adria Vasil, (Ecoholic, 2007, "Vintage Canada," pg. 102), writes that the Fairtrade label is the only way to know "that what you're buying hasn't been made in the equivalent of a sweatshop."
Fairtrade Benefits Workers
The British Medical Association (BMA) recently spoke out to try to increase usage of Fairtrade and ethically-sourced products by the National Health Service (NHS). In December 2008, James Randerson in the Guardian News, ("Revealed: child labour used to make NHS equipment") reported that Dr. Mahmoud Bhutta had exposed sweatshops making medical equipment for British hospitals. Dr. Bhutta, an adviser to the BMA's Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group told BBC News on February 10, 2010, that more must be done as, "there is also evidence that children as young as seven are risking their lives to supply us with equipment to save British lives." The NHS already uses cotton gauze and linens supplied by the Organic Medical Clothing Company.
Fairtrade is not about charity. According to Fairtrade.net, Fairtrade organizations work directly with producers to cut out the middleman and ensure more profits go into the right hands. The Fairtrade organizations ensure a guaranteed minimum wage is paid as well as a premium which producers must use to invest in community projects such as schools and clean drinking water.
Using a Fairtrade organization to find ethically-sourced products for the BMA would ensure safe working conditions and commensurate compensation as well as eliminating the use of child-labour. The endorsement from major bodies such as the BMA, validates the Fairtrade movement and educates the public about what Fairtrade is all about.
Fairtrade Towns and Cities in 18 Countries
Achieving Fairtrade Town status requires a number of commitments from the business community and community at large. Though each country oversees their own Fairtrade Town program, under the umbrella organization FLO, the criteria that must be met to achieve the designation is similar in each country. Fairtradetowns.org lists the following criteria that must be met for a town to be designated a Fairtrade Town:
- The local council uses Fair Trade Certified products and supports the Fair Trade Towns campaign
- Stores and restaurants serve Fair Trade products
- Workplaces, faith groups and schools promote and use Fair Trade products
- Public awareness events and media coverage focus on the Fair Trade campaign
- A steering group is created to continue the commitment
- Other ethical and sustainable initiatives are promoted within the community
The Fairtrade Town designation relies on a significant commitment from many people, but the effort makes an immeasurable difference to so many people in the developing world.
References:
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, Fairtrade.net, 2009, Accessed March 1, 2010
"The Five Goals", Fairtrade Towns, Fairtradetowns.org, 2009, Accessed March 1, 2010
World Fair Trade Organization, Wfto.com, 2010, Accessed March 1, 2010
Adria Vasil, Ecoholic, 2007, "Vintage Canada," pg. 102
Lorah Delaney - Lorah is a native of Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a degree in Physical Education from the University of British Columbia and a ...
