Fair Trade Towns USA

Declare your town a Fair Trade Town! Fair Trade Towns USA is a campaign organized by local and national Fair Trade advocates whose aim is to encourage and support the Fair Trade Movement in the U.S. by offering tools and resources to become a Fair Trade town or city. Fair Trade Towns brings these local groups together, united with the common goal of making Fair Trade products the standard in the U.S. - one community at a time.

The Fair Trade Towns campaign is based on principles and guidelines set forth by the Fairtrade Foundation in the U.K., where the first Fair Trade town was recognized in 2000. In the U.S., there is no single governing body that coordinates or monitors Fair Trade Towns. Rather, towns and cities may publicly declare that they are Fair Trade once they meet five goals set forth by the Fair Trade Towns campaign.

To be recognized as a Fair Trade Town or City in the U.S., the following goals should be met:

• A local Fair Trade steering committee is formed that meets on a regular basis. The aim of the committee is to increase awareness of and demand for Fair Trade products, through education, outreach and events.
• A range of Fair Trade products are available in local stores, cafes and other venues. These include Fair Trade Certified products and products sold by retailers that are members of the Fair Trade Federation.
• Fair Trade products are used by a number of local organizations, such as places of worship, schools, hospitals and offices.
• The local campaign attracts media attention and visible public support, including press and radio.
• The town or city council passes a resolution supporting Fair Trade and the local campaign.

For a “how-to” toolkit for obtaining official recognition of a Fair Trade Town and more information, visit http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org/, or contact Fair Trade Towns coordinator Sara Stender: by phone: 802.356.0551, or email: sara@fairtradetownsusa.org.