Revelstoke’s Mayor and Council have approved a resolution to make the community a Fair Trade Town, and the community will soon see evidence of this process, say proponents of the resolution.
“We are very excited to make Revelstoke a part of this global effort,” Susan Knight, head of the local Fair Trade Committee, said in a statement. “By taking on this challenge we are making a commitment to support the principles of Fair Trade and improve the lives of millions of farmers and workers in the south who benefit from the Fair Trade certification system.”
Fair Trade Towns are communities that officially promote Fair Trade products, and have met a variety of criteria related to the consumption of those products, public education and municipal commitment. There are currently five Fair Trade Towns in Canada, including Nakusp and Golden. Hundreds of towns and cities around the world have been recognized in this international movement, including London and Copenhagen.
The campaign is part of TransFair Canada, a not-for-profit certification and public-education organization. To become a Fair Trade Town, a community must achieve the following six goals:
1. The local council uses Fair Trade Certified products and supports the Fair Trade Towns campaign;
2. Stores and restaurants serve Fair Trade Certified products;
3. Workplaces, faith groups and schools use and promote Fair Trade Certified products;
4. Public awareness events and media coverage held on Fair Trade and the campaign;
5. A steering committee created for continued commitment; and
6. Other ethical and sustainable initiatives promoted within the community.
“A number of these objectives have already been met, so we are already quite close to Fair Trade Town recognition,” Knight said. “We will soon be holding some events to raise awareness of this movement and we hope to become BC’s third Fair Trade Town before the end of the year.”
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Fair Trade Steering Committee will screen the documentary, Black Gold, a film about the coffee trade. The movie will show at the Revelstoke Community Centre from 7 p.m. until 8:30 pm and admission is free. You can also find out more about the campaign from the Fair Trade booth at the Farmers’ Market.
