Vancouver became the first major city in Canada to achieve Fair Trade Town status on Thursday.
Cities qualify for fair trade status if stores and restaurants serve fair trade certified products, workplaces and schools use and promote them and a steering group is created for continued commitment, among other requirements.
Jeff Geipel, executive director of Fair Trade Vancouver said having fair trade products available at virtually all supermarkets in Metro Vancouver helped. The idea is that the Fair Trade Town status will increase awareness and demand.
Geipel said looking for items such as coffee, tea, sugar and tropical fruits labelled with the fair trade certified mark helps improve the lives of producers in developing countries.
“We want to be the greenest city in the world and a big part of that is ensuring that our goods and services are produced and delivered in a responsible way,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a release.
Marking World Fair Trade Day on Saturday there will be a celebration including a ceremonial cutting of a Fair Trade cake, and a dance circle outside the Ten Thousand Villages store on Granville Island from 1 to 2 p.m.
