Fair Trade Towns

A Fair Trade Town is
a community that:

  • Supports Fairtrade and deepens understanding of the benefits Fairtrade brings.
  • Takes action by choosing Fairtrade products whenever possible and encourages others to do likewise.
  • Achieves and continues to take action on the five Fair Trade Town goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation.
  • Inspires, learns, and collects best practices to use for both established and emerging Fair Trade Town campaigns in order to build a strong national campaign thereby, empowering and assisting campaigns in other Towns in order to promote awareness of Fairtrade.
  • Encourages campaigns to adopt an inclusive model for Fair Trade Towns and promote better understanding of the ‘Big Tent’ approach.
  • Builds a movement of national Fair Trade Town campaigns that supports policies for Fairtrade, and trade justice in particular, by the development of ethical public procurement, as well as advocacy for Fairtrade.

The inception of Fair Trade Towns

As a movement, Fair Trade towns started back in 2001, in Garstang, Lancashire with the initiative of Bruce Crowther. The core purpose behind the movement was to actively engage with the following social infrastructures, i.e.:

  • Consumers
  • Businesses
  • Educational institutions
  • Local grocery stores
  • Cafes and restaurants

This was done to raise awareness and support for producers, as well as to campaign for change within the existing rules and regulations of conventional trade. It acted as a convening space for co-creating alternative pathways to go forward.

Fair Trade Towns is a collective movement of the people that champions the cause of environmental sustainability and brings about social equality.

Today we have reached

2022

Fair Trade Towns

39

countries & 6 continents

14

capital cities

2

Fairtrade nations

2000

Fairtrade schools

5000

Universities

1000

Fairtrade works space and faith communities

Reach of Fair Trade Towns

Fair trade launched the twin towns movement in the cities of Puducherry and Auroville in November 2015, with the main objective to grow steadily throughout India.

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How It Started In India

In November 2015 The Fair Trade Twin Towns Movement In Puducherry And Auroville Was Launched.

Pushpanath Krishnamurthy, Global Campaigner Walked For 450 Kms From Pondicherry To Kotagiri. Alongside COP21 In Paris. More Than 350 People Gathered In Pouring Rain To Support Him And 70 People Including Fair Trade Workers From Various Organizations Walked For 16 Kms With Pushpanath From Puducherry To Auroville On The First Day Of The Walk.

The flag-off was attended by Environment Minister T. Thiagarajan, Tourism Minister P. Rajavelu and MLA K. Lakshminarayanan. French Consul General Philippe Janvier-Kamiyama also lent his support.

FairTrade helps
producers everywhere

  • A resolution to be passed by the local council in support of Fair Trade and the usage of Fair Trade products.
  • Shops, available local cafes and catering establishments to implement the use of Fair Trade products.
  • Several local and community organisations must use Fair Trade products as well.
  • Popular support to be generated for the campaign and media coverage to attract the same.
  • Establishment of a local steering committee that ensures continued commitment to the Fair Trade Town status

'The Big Tent Model' -
Implemented in India.

The “Big Tent” approach is an inclusive model that works to promote and drive sales of a wide range of Fair Trade products. The “Big Tent” promotes the 2 global Fair Trade movements, i.e.,Fair Trade International and WFTO.

Core objectives of the National
Fair Trade Towns Campaign

  • Implementing fair conditions for trade
  • Creating an inclusive economic growth
  • Making decent work available
  • Helping to improve wages and incomes
  • Empowering farmers, artisans and workers
  • Protecting the rights of children and investing in the next generation.
  • Nurturing and protecting biodiversity and the environment.
  • Enabling inclusive public policies.
  • Involving citizens in building a fair world.

Fair Trade Conference

Fair Trade Towns India held its 1st National Conference from 21st to 23rd July 2022 in Puducherry. Main aim was to bring together producers, consumers, local government and key stakeholders who were involved in the extensive work being done by Fair Trade towns across the country to have relevant dialogues, participate in activities and draft out a plan for collective action towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The Conference received strong support and participation from businesses, education institutions, civil society organisations, government departments and citizens across the country.

Learn more about Fair Trade Towns!

Fair Trade has achieved immense success in running the Fair Trade Twin Towns campaign in Pondicherry and Auroville, where an entire community strived towards making trade become fairer.

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